lowell general hospital partnering for excellence

Lowell General Hospital: Partnering for Excellence

2The information and concepts contained in this document are the proprietary property of Sodexo. As such, they cannot be reproduced or utilized without permission. ©2015

INTRODUCTIONLowell General Hospital is recognized for its outstanding quality of care, continuing quest for improvement and financial success. When the hospital sought a strategic partner who shared its commitment to quality—one that would work collaboratively with senior management to help the hospital reach new heights—it chose Sodexo and its integrated Comprehensive Services Solutions.

LOWELL GENERAL HOSPITALFounded in 1891, Lowell General Hospital is an independent, not-for-profit community hospital serving a population of over 300,000 in the Greater Lowell area and surrounding communities northwest of Boston. Today, the hospital has two campuses offering a full range of medical and surgical services.

Lowell General’s vision is to be one of the best community hospitals in the country, and it is prospering in a challenging competitive environment that has seen a significant degree of consolidation in recent years. Looking at the road ahead, Lowell General’s administrators see that reforms to the U.S. healthcare system are changing reimbursement structures, moving away from the traditional fee-for-service models, to ones that are meant to reward integrated care and overall value—shifting more risk to hospitals in the process. At the same time, the increasing acuity of the patient population is driving higher utilization.

To reach this point, the hospital took proactive measures, including the development of a new corporate structure that facilitates productive clinical partnerships and larger provider networks. The hospital also sought out a strategic partnership for non-clinical services with a company that shared its vision.

“Providing exceptional experiences that exceed patients’ expectations is our goal. Sodexo helps make that goal a reality.”

– Jody White, President

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Getting to the topLowell General’s pursuit of excellence has earned it local, regional and national recognition. For examples, The Magnet Recognition Program® provides a fundamental benchmark to measure the quality of hospital care, requiring excellence in patient care in dozens of focus areas. Administered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, the recognition is given to just 6% of hospitals nationally, and even fewer—just 4%—are recognized a second time. During the demanding review process for the second Magnet recognition, the hospital’s support services directly contributed to the

results, receiving a special mention for outstanding performance and their contribution to enabling the highest quality care.

A commitment to quality, from patient care to support services, creates a positive professional environment,

which in turn attracts the highest caliber of care professional. So it’s not surprising that Lowell General is listed in Becker’s Hospital Review’s 150 Great Places to Work, nor that it is ranked #6 in Boston Business Journal’s Best Places To Work 2015 (its sixth consecutive

year on the list). It also contributes to a stable, low-turnover rate for the hospital—meaning lower costs and greater operational efficiency.

The hospital-leadership knows that it cannot rest on these laurels; health care reform is changing the game for the entire healthcare industry, and providers that cannot deliver quality patient care and experiences, population health and affordability will lose ground. Lowell General’s administration plans to lead in these areas, and its strategic pillars of people, experience, quality, financial and growth reflect this.

SodexoSodexo has delivered quality of life services to clients worldwide since 1966. Currently operating in 80 countries with over 400,000 employees, the company integrates the diverse talents of its team members in 100+ professions into an array of on-site services. Sodexo’s Comprehensive Service Solutions (CSS) model that integrates and manages services in seven major areas has buoyed and enhanced the hospital’s drive to the top, working together with the administration to find ways to improve performance, reduce complexity and find efficiencies with coordinated and innovative solutions. Services offered to support the healthcare sector include: Food and Nutrition, Environmental Services, Facility Solutions, Laundry and Linen, Transportation Services, Clinical Technology Management, Service Response Center, and Patient Experiences.

[MA Governor Baker] credited the “culture and the approach of the Lowell hospital more than the various payment models, and he said its success is worth studying.

“I’ve always been a big believer that if you find somebody who’s doing something well, the best thing you can do is figure out what it is they’re doing and then celebrating it,”

– State House News Service, October 5, 2015

“Behind each of our clinical staff members stands a team of support service staff from Sodexo who helps us put Patients First in Everything We Do.”

– Amy Hoey, EVP and COO


The Partnership

Lowell General Hospital’s selection of Sodexo’s integrated services represents a choice to develop a strategic partnership in place of multiple vendor relationships. This is a choice that not all hospitals may make, but the leadership of Lowell General has found that it is the right one for a hospital seeking constant improvement in its pursuit of excellence.

From the CEO onwards, the hospital management seeks to enable clinicians to do what they do best—care for patients and their communities. The hospital administration is able to devote its time and attention to the strategic pillars through its intelligent use of a small number of strategic partnerships, such as the one it has with Sodexo. Through this partnership, Sodexo is directly aligned with the hospital’s strategic priorities, and takes a measure of responsibility and accountability for pillars in which it has deep expertise: experience, people and financial.

This strategic partnership is strengthened by the deep cultural alignment Sodexo has achieved. Sodexo employees participate in all aspects of Lowell General’s work and community, from working committees and boards to volunteer initiatives, leading to a frictionless environment where they are not viewed as contractors but truly as part of the team.

As part of the CSS model, Sodexo provides a full suite of services to Lowell General, though the true value in this partnership is greater than the sum of it parts. The CSS model has increased productivity significantly: Lowell General’s facilities are managed with fewer FTEs, 18% lower than the national average. Sodexo’s clinical technologies management saves the hospital more than $500,000 a year through proper care and management of equipment that extends its life, and having the CTM team based on-site means maintenance and repairs are made immediately, improving the equipment’s up time. As a result, doctors, nurses and other staff are not waiting for equipment repairs, morale is improved, stress and frustration are reduced, capital dollars are deferred for other priorities, and reduced cost or equipment repairs save operating expenses. The integrated management of resources means that efficiencies can be shared across service areas and overall productivity increased.

At the working center of this integrated approach, Sodexo’s proprietary Services Response Center ensures simplicity and efficiency across the board by handling tasking and tracking across all six service areas.

An on-site Sodexo executive is integrated within the Lowell General Hospital management team, providing a single point of contact for all services. This allows quick resolution to any area needing attention with a full understanding of the hospital’s priorities, and even anticipating future needs.

Fast Facts: Lowell General Hospital & Sodexo Partnership Results

§ Clinical technologies management saves Lowell General Hospital +$500,000 annually

§ Environmental Services at Lowell General Hospital is in the 98th percentile for productivity compared to other managed hospitals in region.

§ Facilities managed with fewer FTEs – a ratio of 18% lower than national average

§ Food services: By expanding retail venues and applying proper menu management systems, Lowell General Hospital is rewarded with an average of 5% less cost of food compared to like facilities

§ Service Response Center integrates tasks across all seven service functions, handling more than 270,000 calls and processing 1 million meal orders annually.

“Sodexo always does everything we ask, and 99% of the time they proactively identify things we need but haven’t asked for yet.”

– Susan Green, EVP and CFO


This strategic integration also delivers innovation to Lowell General, as Sodexo is able to leverage its vast network and find groundbreaking solutions that have a direct impact on care quality, patient experience and employee satisfaction. Some recent examples include:

§ The introduction of the Xenex germ-killing robots that have improved room sterilization and reduced surgical site infections by 44%.

§ Deployment of the GetWell Network in-room communications and entertainment system and At Your Request Room Service, a customized patient food service for increased patient engagement and satisfaction.

§ Installation of 24-hour self-service Micro-Markets that give employees access to high-quality food when the cafeteria is closed.1

As Sodexo reduces management complexity for the administration, it creates the flexibility and agility necessary to take advantage of new opportunities.

As Lowell General has expanded in size and added specialties, the CSS model has accommodated the growth and the addition of clinical services in stride.

That same flexibility and agility are also necessary to overcome unforeseen challenges and maintain operations in times of crisis. In the past year Sodexo was integral in reorganizing schedules, spaces and services on the fly in order to allow Lowell General to stay open during the debilitating snowstorms that shut down much of the Boston region, and in a separate case provided critical, specialized support when the hospital was facing a potential Ebola case.

Lowell General Hospital’s drive to deliver Complete connected careSM means that it is committed to constant improvement in its pursuit of excellence. Sodexo creates value in its partnership with Lowell General through strategic and cultural alignment, reduced management complexity, innovation, productivity enhancements and proactive problem solving—all part of the Sodexo CSS model.

1 The ROI for the micro-market is 18 months. It generates an additional $80,000 in revenue ($40,000 net profit) for the hospital annually.


ALIGNING STRATEGY AND CULTURELowell General Hospital sets high standards, something that is evident in both its strategy and culture. In the rapidly evolving, competitive field of health care providers, Lowell General makes quality a primary strategic focus, seeking to be one of the top community hospitals in the nation. The hospital counts on its partner, Sodexo, to help execute its strategy of excellence through continuous improvement across all the services in Sodexo’s integrated CSS model, and this requires a close alignment in both strategy and culture.

The hospital has drawn the Sodexo team into its own organizational structure, at the leadership level and through all the operational areas where Sodexo plays a part. Sodexo’s senior representative at Lowell General, for instance, serves as the hospital’s Vice President of Hospitality and Support Services. This enables him to calibrate Sodexo’s ongoing operations to ensure they address the hospital’s highest current priorities, and to work proactively on behalf of the hospital to find services, tools and other opportunities that align with the hospital’s long-term goals.

Similarly, Sodexo functional mangers are unified with the hospital’s organization, with operational insight and responsibility beyond the traditional vendor-client relationship. Sodexo’s CSS model amplifies the benefits of this integration by creating a seamless support structure with superior levels of agility and flexibility. This close alignment makes a tangible difference in the hospital’s performance in many of the highest priority areas, including patient engagement and satisfaction,

care outcomes, employee satisfaction, hospital capacity, and financial efficiency.

The integrated services model also reduces the hospital’s barriers to growth. An integrated services team can deliver scalability and efficiencies—whether that growth is organic—such as the expansion of core hospital facilities, or through the acquisition of new practices.

The Sodexo team aligns its goals directly to those of the hospital leaders, and because these services are all delivered by an integrated team, Sodexo can anticipate challenges, acting rapidly and with greater efficiency to deliver added value to the hospital.

An organization’s culture permeates all aspects of its business, from business planning to operations, from employee morale to patient experience, and from operating efficiency to financial performance. In order to be effective, a strategic partner must understand and be able to work within an organization’s culture. Lowell General’s culture of excellence in care and services has earned it many accolades, and it is Sodexo’s shared commitment to excellence that is the foundation for its cultural alignment with the hospital.

Sodexo’s CSS model enhances the cultural alignment of its team members at Lowell General because it begins with a one-team, collaborative and connected approach to service delivery. The CSS model is oriented to Lowell General Hospital’s broad goals and approach to operations right from the start, whereas a segmented, siloed model would focus on narrow metrics and relationships.

How well do Sodexo employees fit into the culture at Lowell General? They seamlessly integrate working on many hospital committees, such as Capital Planning, Patient Experience Council, Space Planning and more.

“The key differentiator is that The Sodexo team is strategically linked with us, looking at things we can do together as a team”

– Cece Lynch, VP Patient Care Services and Chief Nurse Executive

“Sodexo doesn’t feel like a vendor – they’re part of the team.”

– Amy Hoey, EVP and COO


REDUCING MANAGEMENT COMPLEXITYComplexity is the enemy of efficiency and accountability. Lowell General Hospital has found Sodexo’s integrated CSS model combats complexity and creates value through clear, speedy and simple service delivery.

Managing a hospital would be a complex business even if the scope were limited to providing the highest quality patient care. Add to the mix facilities operations and maintenance, equipment maintenance, feeding patients and staff, transportation, and myriad other responsibilities—all of which must be done efficiently and affordably—and that complexity increases exponentially.

Because it integrates a wide range of non-clinical hospital services into a single support structure with a unified mission, Sodexo’s CSS model removes levels of complexity from Lowell General Hospital’s administrative duties.

Starting at the leadership level, Lowell General’s senior executives have a single point of contact and accountability for all non-clinical service matters: the senior Sodexo representative who serves as the Hospital’s Vice President for Hospitality and Support Services. Instead of having to navigate through layers of bureaucracy and siloed areas of responsibility, hospital executives have a clear path to issue directions and request information. Sodexo’s CSS model allows hospital executives to spend time on what they do best—run a hospital—all while allowing Sodexo to do what it does best—deliver superior non-clinical services.

“By including this range of services under a single point of contact, we receive the best possible value.”


Sodexo has demonstrated the operational value of its integrated, strategically aligned approach on many occasions. For example, when asked to convert an old ER unit into a 10-bed telemetry patient care unit, Sodexo was able to coordinate actions across several diverse service teams, including bio-medical, materials management, facilities management, housekeeping and food, in a manner that allowed the changeover to be completed in less than a day.


The effectiveness of the integrated services model and single point of contact were clearly demonstrated recently when Lowell General Hospital found itself with an urgent requirement for 10 additional monitored beds due to overflow conditions.

A single call from the hospital Chief Nursing Officer to Sodexo’s head of Hospitality Services was all hospital management needed to do. That call at 3:00pm resulted in a fully operational unit of 10 monitored beds by 7:00am the next day.

The CSS integrated model meant Sodexo’s Vice President was able to assemble a multi-disciplinary team and immediately implement all the steps necessary to convert a decommissioned emergency department into a monitored unit. This required coordinated responses from materials management, biomedical technology management, housekeeping, facilities, food and even the pharmacy. The ability to mobilize this team under a single point of leadership meant there was a clear purpose, speed in execution, and efficiency in resources in the delivery of this solution to a critical need.

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Simplicity in cross-functional service coordination is not limited to the leadership level at Lowell General. Sodexo’s Service Response Center (SRC) embodies the ideal of simplicity, and in many ways is at the heart of the integrated CSS model’s success.

The SRC is a single point of contact for hospital staff and patients for a wide range of critical services, including food & nutrition, environmental & linen services, facilities & plant operations, central transport, and clinical technology management. With one call, service requests—including requests involving multiple service areas—are handled quickly and efficiently, avoiding the need for multiple calls to separate departments. The SRC team leverages its knowledge of a broad range of services and a sophisticated system to rapidly log calls and dispatch the nearest personnel with the right capabilities and tools.

With this simple “one call” approach, Sodexo’s SRC has delivered impressive results over and above its efficient handling of such a high volume of requests. The average time to answer a service call is less than 13 seconds (under 3 rings). This has reduced the abandoned rate by 38% to a level below 6%, increasing the level of trust between the hospital and its patients and staff.

The simplicity and elegance of Sodexo’s integrated service approach reduces Lowell General Hospital’s administrative complexity, improving the efficiency and effectiveness for senior leadership, patients, and staff across the board.

“There is so much going on here that if we didn’t have [Sodexo], it would be incredibly difficult to keep focused on every piece.”


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§ 270,000 SRC calls answered § 85,000 Transport trips § 3 million Pounds of laundry § 1 million Meals (patient, café, other)

§ 150,000 Maintenance work orders/PM’s


FOSTERING INNOVATION ACROSS FUNCTIONAL AREASInnovation is an imperative for hospitals focused on excellence. Advances in care delivery are a top priority for all hospital leadership, but Lowell General Hospital recognizes that superiority in areas such as cleanliness, patient engagement, and others that directly and indirectly contribute to overall performance. Sodexo’s integrated services model at the hospital and its vast network of connections across multiple sectors enable it to deliver innovative solutions – large and small – in those areas outside of care delivery that can give Lowell General an additional edge.

Sodexo’s CSS model fosters innovative solutions across multiple functional areas to enable improved performance at Lowell General Hospital.

This starts with a strategic partnership that allows Sodexo to identify the hospital’s needs early on, and more significantly, permits Sodexo to proactively seek out and recommend new ideas, products and processes that align with the areas of highest priority for Lowell General. When promising innovations are identified, the integrated CSS structure enables Sodexo to respond quickly and seamlessly to deliver solutions that cross functional boundaries, with as little administrative burden as possible.

Lowell General has benefited directly from Sodexo’s global experience and connections to companies working on the cutting edge, and the hospital has leveraged these to its advantage on numerous occasions. Sodexo-enabled solutions at the hospital help improve the quality of care, patient experience, employee satisfaction and the efficiency of the facility itself.

Quality of CareMaking the environment safer for staff and patients is paramount for any hospital. Lowell General is driven to find new ways to ensure the cleanliness of the hospital’s facilities and to effectively control infection, ultimately improving the quality of care for its patients.

To achieve these goals, Sodexo introduced Xenex germ-killing robots to the hospital. These robots have improved room disinfecting while reducing surgical site infections by 44%. Xenex units break down the DNA of germs associated with C.diff and MRSA, the scourge of surgical centers across the country. By reducing healthcare-associated infections, Lowell General is able to significantly reduce the number of costly readmissions and improve the environment for its patients.

Another area of innovation at the hospital that stems directly from its partnership with Sodexo is the introduction of a Health Risk Management System lighting system. These advanced light fixtures are fitted with fans and UV chambers that circulate air in hospital rooms, killing pathogens in the air without invasive measures. These light fixtures operate 24/7 and significantly improve environments where they are needed most–like operating areas and rooms housing infectious patients. They offer 99% removal of pathogens including MRSA, Staphylococcus, Serratia Marcescens and Bacillus Atrophaeus, by recirculating the air in a room through the UV chamber in the light fixture.

“Everything Sodexo does here is strategically aligned. You help us to be better, innovative and creative.”


With engaged employees and the right tools, we can save more lives.

• Lowest cost, no-touch disinfection using breakthrough Xenon UV technology

• Reduce surgical site infections by 44%

• 5-minute disinfection cycle = fast turnover

• Increased sta and patient satisfaction


Patient Experience

Beyond the extraordinary measures that Lowell General takes to deliver cleanliness, the hospital aims to ensure their patients are as comfortable and entertained as can be, and receiving first-class service while in their care.

In support of this goal, Sodexo identified an opportunity for the hospital to offer complete connectivity for its patients through the GetWell Network Platform–an in-room TV/Computer system that provides patients with a greater range of personalized service options and connects them to their care team. This system turns the patient’s TV into a PC and interactive device, offering features that include a multimedia library to help describe medical conditions and procedures to both adults and children; a “dashboard” where staff can leave instructions for patients; access to information on hospital amenities including in-room dining; Internet access to keep patients connected to friends and family; access to movies, TV shows and interactive games; and options for patients to provide real-time feedback.

Beyond complete connectivity, Sodexo also identified an opportunity for Lowell General to improve the patient experience with the introduction of At Your Request – Room Dining Service®. A Sodexo-developed program, the service allows patients to order what they want, when they want it, from an extensive menu. Freshly prepared meals are delivered to the patient in less than 45 minutes, and the service is hailed not only by patients but staff as well. Another Sodexo-service, Expressly For You – Personal Service DiningSM, connects patients with a personal host/hostess who will describe menu choices and deliver meals directly to their bedside.

Beyond an increase to patient and staff satisfaction, the service also reduces food costs by about 7% to 8% and generates less waste for hospitals because patients are less likely to throw out unwanted meals.

Employee SatisfactionHospital services must provide for staff as well as patients, and employee satisfaction is vital to effective operations. Sodexo has helped boost employee

satisfaction at Lowell General through innovative solutions such as Micro Markets, a 24/7/365 self-service market that provides staff access to high quality food at any time of the day.

Sodexo recently completed a $2.6M “Fresh Inspirations” retail café renovation for staff and visitors. Using proprietary marketing tools, Sodexo was able to confidently identify food platforms that would deliver high satisfaction to the defined population of users. High satisfaction yields higher sales, and at Lowell General Hospital that has meant an increase of 18% YOY.

Additionally, Sodexo implemented Quick Charge–an automated payroll deduction system that allows for streamlined retail purchases with pharmacy and gift shop capabilities in the future. The new design allows for patrons to select fresh, healthy food, and spend less time waiting.

Facility Improvements

Sodexo provides Lowell General with opportunities to innovate beyond the areas that affect the people inside its facilities, to include innovations for the facilities themselves.

Sodexo introduced and deployed EnvironPure–an advanced composting system. EnvioPure EPW Systems are self-contained, continual feed, organic food waste elimination systems that convert food waste into water. The water can be safely disposed of into existing municipal waste water systems. The systems exceed current regulatory standards, eliminate solid food waste in the main trash stream, and reduce the volume of trash by about 15%.

Sodexo completed a Central Energy Plant Engineering Study for Lowell General Hospital in preparation of its recent building expansion. The CEP was incorporated into the building design and thus reduced planned energy consumption by $500,000 annually.

In order to achieve excellence, an organization must be willing to constantly innovate, and this is certainly the case for the Lowell General-Sodexo strategic partnership. Sodexo understands that excellence means moving beyond the status quo and finding new ways to improve experiences for patients and staff, as well as improving the facilities. The company has been essential in identifying and managing innovative opportunities for Lowell General, and the hospital, through its trust in Sodexo, has been eager to listen and deploy these strategies.


ENHANCING FLEXIBILITY AND AGILITYOne measure of excellence is how well you perform under pressure. The medical staff at Lowell General Hospital delivers outstanding care under emergency and critical conditions every day, and they expect their strategic partners to also perform well in difficult situations. Sodexo’s integrated services team has proven its ability to face crises and overcome problems challenging Lowell General.

All organizations will find themselves faced with challenges that go beyond the expected or the foreseeable, and Lowell General is no exception. When challenges arise that require something beyond a medical solution, the hospital turns to Sodexo.

With its integrated CSS model, Sodexo can mobilize resources from multiple service areas quickly and effectively to deliver coordinated responses. The advantages for Lowell General to this approach are manyfold: the integrated model allows for more rapid action, more collaborative and comprehensive solutions, and a simplified chain of command.

Two recent crises highlight the value of the Sodexo CSS model. In the first, Lowell General Hospital was faced with a possible Ebola case when a 2-year-old met the Centers for Disease Control’s screening criteria.

Treating a patient with a potential case of this disease requires the rapid deployment of additional medical and support resources. The Sodexo team handled all the enhanced facilities and equipment requirements, leaving Lowell General’s medical staff free to address the patient’s acute medical needs. Thankfully, further testing determined that this case was not Ebola, but the swift action of the hospital would have provided critical safeguards to patients, staff and the community in the event those tests had been positive.

The second incident was a non-medical crisis, but one that that could have had a substantially negative impact on Lowell General’s ability to provide care to the community. The greater Boston area experienced record amounts of snowfall in the winter of 2014-2015. On several occasions, a snow emergency was declared, and the worst of the storms closed roads and public transportation—meaning hospital employees had no way to get to or from work.

Sodexo converted rooms, rearranged work schedules and assignments, set up an emergency round-the-clock food plan, and generally made sure the hospital was able to function through the worst of these conditions.

For two days Sodexo’s management team members slept at the hospital. The collective group of managers helped out in each department and asked their employees to do the same–actions made possible because Sodexo’s CSS approach breaks down siloes and barriers. As a result, environmental services workers helped transport patients and helped shovel snow, food service workers set up bedding and cots for staff, patient services staff worked in the cafeteria, and maintenance workers cleaned and helped cook and deliver food. Meanwhile, managers acted as a transportation system, picking up and taking home other hospital staff.

Crises, ranging from severe weather conditions that threatened the operations of the hospital to the risk of a possible Ebola case required extraordinary measures from Lowell General Hospital’s medical and service staff. Across a broad range of service areas, Sodexo’s collaborative team approach delivers exceptional results to match the excellent care provided by the hospital’s medical professionals.

“Sodexo helps us focus on what we do best and allows us to take advantage of their great expertise.”


Source: American Meteorological Society

https://www2.ametsoc.org/ams/index.cfm/about-ams/ams-insights/ams-insight-february-2015-major-snowstorms-and-social-sciences/


CONCLUSIONThe bottom line for Lowell General Hospital is that its partnership with Sodexo and the integration of multiple service areas delivers a higher level of value over a longer term than any potential short-term gains that could be achieved through the maintenance of multiple service contracts.

The simplicity of the partnership between Lowell General Hospital and Sodexo reduces administrative complexity, improving the efficiency and effectiveness for senior leadership, patients, and staff across the board. Through this partnership, Sodexo is aligned with the hospital’s strategic priorities and culture, meaning services at Lowell General can be delivered proactively, in direct support of the hospital’s highest priority goals, and in a manner consistent with the organization’s values and ways of working. Within the integrated CSS model, resources can be mobilized from multiple service areas quickly and effectively, to solve problems in the most coordinated and efficient way. This means that efficiencies can be shared across service areas and overall productivity can be increased, while helping the hospital meet its promise of delivering Complete connected careSM.

“There are few companies that can have such a wide-ranging ability to positively impact a hospital’s success.”


lowell general hospital partnering for excellence

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