Essential LMS Features.docx

Essential Features Labor Scheduling Software Multiple VA Medical Centers

1. Acronyms:

ACLS: Advanced Cardial Life Support ALBCC: Account Level Budgeter Cost Center BAA: Business Associate Agreement BLS: Basic Life Support BOC: Budget Object Codes CLIN: Contract Line-Item Number DSS: Decision Support System EOD: Entrance on Duty LMS: Labor Management System NCO4: Network Contracting Office NDNQI: National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators ONS: Office of Nursing Service OT: Overtime PEV: Paid Enhancement for VANOD T&L: Time and Leave VAMC: Veterans Affairs Medical Center VANOD: Veterans Affairs Nursing Outcomes Database VISN: Veterans Integrated Service Network VISTA: Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture

2. Labor Management System Software: This system will provide decision support for staff assignments based on objective and variable data; improve patient care by matching nursing competencies to required needs. The LMS shall provide self-scheduling options for nursing providers and data for outcome measurements.

The system shall automate labor-intensive, time-consuming processes that increase efficiencies, data quality, and support decision making. Due to the fluidity of staffing schedules, it is critical to have access to employee information to be able to adjust staffing arrangements to manage the clinical (nursing) needs of Veterans and to facilitate communication in changing needs within the facility and with the employees. Because care is delivered 24 hours/7 days a week, ability to access and modify scheduling by managers, supervisors and chiefs is needed.

Resource management not only involves staff planning but also scores of managerial tasks including adherence to directives limiting hours of work in each period, regulatory dictates, and special pay and time accounting accordance to defined payment schedules. Managers must have the flexibility to determine the appropriate level of staff for patient care needs while considering a constellation of important variables, including the various education scope of practice and experience levels of staff. The number of staffing orientation, the number of temporary staff on the unit, the acuity of patients, anticipated acuity on a particular shift, the physical layout of the unit, the availability of hospital resources, the technology on the unit, and the unit turbulence (such as the number of admissions, discharges and transfers.)

LMS must include HR, Schedule, Staffing, Track, Finance, Payroll and Report modules. HR information is imported from the government Human Resources Software (VISTA) to eliminate double data entry. Schedules must be created using a block, manager, or employee self-scheduling method. The staffing module must incorporate a real-time aspect, bringing in workload measurements from established systems (example: patient census information for hospitals). The finance module must allow budgets to be inputted and staffing targets to meet government established targets. The payroll module must include time & attendance and allow for the automation of tracking employee timecards and accurate cost information. All information within the system must be reportable and can be exported to a screen, PDF, Excel, Word, CSV and more.

2.1. Specifications: Utilizes an HL7 interface with VISTA that brings in real-time Admit, Discharge, and Transfer information. Utilizes an HR interface that brings in several points of data validation for VANOD including series, position, grade, step, licensure information, EOD, degrees, other schooling, BOC, ALBCC, Occupation Series Code and more. Utilizes the census interface to correlate with budgeting and reporting to databases like VISTA, VANOD and PEV, ONS, DSS, NDNQI and more.

2.2. Required Functional capabilities: An automated staffing package is required to provide: Demographic Tracking tools: maintain employee contact/ emergency contact information. Maintains employee-preferred method of communication. All software updates and installation shall be included as they become available.

2.2.1. Must be a secure cloud-based solution with the company hosting data on their servers. The vendor would be responsible for all monthly support, system and server maintenance, software updates, enhancements, etc.

2.2.2. Must incorporate ALBCC information to automate VHA Directive 1731: DSS Labor Mapping and VHA Directive 1750: Managerial Cost Account (MCA). Report output matches MCA fields for Labor Mapping Completion.

2.2.3. Must have reporting that allows for the use of tracking "true cost of doing business hours" vs. "payroll hours." Overtime reports can be run as Home Unit + Float In hours or Home Unit + Float Out hours.

2.2.4. Must have reporting that allows for Excel Output

2.2.5. Must have a system that allows for Timekeepers to mark tours of duty entered into VA Time and Attendance System (VATAS) and receive alerts about changes to tours.

2.2.6. Must automate storage and alert system for proficiency due dates

2.3. Staffing Scheduling Tools

2.3.1. Maintain prospective schedules.

2.3.2. Audit Trails for changes to the system

2.3.3. Schedules can be created prospective across a 12-month period.

2.3.4. Allow staff to switch shifts amongst peers

2.3.5. Allow staff to make themselves available for overtime and advise on current OT use in comparison to regular clients

2.3.6. Manage Position Control

2.4. Proficiency System: Ability to staff and maintain repositories of anecdotal notes for proficiency input, specialty certification tracking, licensure tracking, education (all degrees earned) tracking, skill-based competencies tracking, ACLS/BLS/131.5 tracking, and continuing education tracking. Mandatory tracking, mandatory health information. Tools for staff to self-report professional portfolio.

2.5. Rule engines to facilitate scheduling:

2.5.1. Apply regulations — hour limits, time off requirements, staffing ratios, etc) as they apply to individuals being scheduled to work:

2.5.2. Apply union requirements stored in the system to create staffing schedules

2.5.3. Use staff preferences to create staffing schedules.

2.5.4. Match competencies to staffing needs. Match nursing staff with patient needs across the system while maintaining balanced patient workloads.

2.5.5. Apply unit preference to competencies, e.g. ICU nurses are ACLS certified.

2.5.6. Apply permanent schedules requests to when generating schedules.

2.5.7. Apply rotating shifts rules when generating schedules.

2.5.8. Capabilities to accommodate scheduling changes are based on patient census scheduling. Apply patient acuities to staffing needs

2.5.9. Track hours per patient day

2.5.10. Generate alternate work schedules

2.5.11. Capability to allow or restrict swapping unit assignments based on competencies.

2.5.12. Capabilities to restrict overtime assignment based on regulations I. Predict staffing needs based on previous trends (e4g. high surgery days)

2.5.13. Provide functionality to maintain disaster preparedness (notifications and callbacks).

2.6. Communication Tools:

2.6.1. Creates a personalized web-based dashboard for all stakeholders

2.6.2. Web-based for employee access

2.6.3. Web-based for managers’ access for staff bidding

2.6.4. Staff bidding on open positions (Staff to staff communication, e.g. to swap shifts)

2.6.5. Exchange shifts between co-workers

2.6.6. Alert applicants for checking status

2.6.7. Produce real-time reports on long-term strategies for hiring staff.

2.7. Ongoing Support

2.7.1. The contractor shall provide 24-hour phone support and error reporting, and availability for real-time primary support between 9:00am – 6:00pm Eastern time.

2.7.2. Unlimited email support.

2.7.3. Weekly phone call for VA users to resolve issues and demonstrate new features that are released every four weeks in the software update

3. Security

3.1. Any network connected software system or service must have the VA Critical Security Controls implemented prior to being authorized for use in the VA (saved in folder, titled VA Critical Security Controls). This includes Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for both the user and elevated privileged accounts as well as other control conditions.

3.2. A Business Associate Agreement (BAA) is required.