Effective Strategies for Healthcare Facility Operations and Maintenance
We wrote this guide with healthcare facility managers in mind. Our goal is to provide a practical solution that helps alleviate the myriad daily challenges you face – from balancing patient care, staff satisfaction, and financial constraints to ensuring patient safety, upholding stringent compliance requirements, and controlling costs.
In it, we’ll explain what operations and maintenance (O&M) entails in the context of a healthcare setting, and why it is such a critical priority. We’ll explore the different types of O&M strategies available, along with their key components and best practices for effective implementation.
Ultimately, we aim to equip you with the knowledge and tools to elevate your facility’s O&M program, so as to support the uninterrupted delivery of quality patient care, enhance staff productivity, and optimize the organization’s financial performance.
What Is Meant by Operation Maintenance (O&M) in Healthcare
The term ‘operation and maintenance (O&M)’ in the context of healthcare facilities refers to the comprehensive set of activities and processes involved in the day-to-day running, upkeep, and preservation of a facility’s physical assets and infrastructure.
At a high level, O&M encompasses two core components: operations and maintenance.
Operations
Operations of a healthcare facility encompass all the daily, hands-on activities required to keep the building’s various systems and equipment running as they’re supposed to.
This includes things like:
- Closely monitoring the performance, settings, and status of specialized medical devices during use.
- Ensuring proper protocols are followed for equipment warm-up, calibration, and shutdown.
- Powering on and shutting down the facility’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems on a daily schedule.
- Inspecting sinks, toilets, and other plumbing fixtures to ensure they are functioning properly.
Maintenance
In simple terms, the “maintenance” side of a healthcare facility’s operations and maintenance (O&M) program refers to all the work done to make sure the building and its equipment stay in good working order over the long term.
Real-life examples would be:
- Overhauling or retrofitting aging medical devices and imaging equipment to restore performance.
- Inspecting the functionality and safety of medical equipment, imaging systems, and other clinical devices.
- Replacing worn-out seals, gaskets, or other small parts on HVAC units or plumbing fixtures.
- Regularly inspecting HVAC equipment, filters, and ductwork for any wear, damage, or efficiency issues.
The goal of an O&M program in a healthcare setting is to ensure the optimal, continuous performance of critical infrastructure like medical equipment, plumbing, HVAC systems, electrical networks, and other facility assets. This proactive, preventive approach helps healthcare organizations avoid costly breakdowns, maintain compliance, and create a safe, reliable environment for patients and staff.
Why Is O&M Important in Healthcare
In healthcare facilities, O&M is important for several reasons:
- Cost Reduction: Effective O&M can significantly reduce operational costs by preventing equipment breakdowns, optimizing energy consumption, and extending the lifespan of assets.
- Enhanced Performance: Well-maintained facilities and equipment operate at optimal levels, improving patient care, staff efficiency, and overall facility performance.
- Climate Resilience: O&M practices that incorporate energy efficiency and sustainable measures contribute to a facility’s resilience against climate change impacts.
- Adaptability: Regular assessments and maintenance enable healthcare facilities to adapt to changing regulations, technology, and patient needs.
- Patient Safety: Proper O&M ensures a safe environment for patients, staff, and visitors by preventing accidents, infections, and equipment failures.
6 Key Components of Healthcare Facilities Management (HFM)
As mentioned earlier, the core objective of operation and maintenance in healthcare is to keep the facility’s critical equipment and infrastructure operating at peak performance levels for as long as possible. All this with the end goal of establishing an environment that is safe, comfortable, and conducive to delivering the highest standard of patient-centric care.
Several essential elements of O&M involve:
1. Maintaining a Well-Functioning Infrastructure
These foundational elements – the HVAC equipment, the plumbing networks, and the overall structural integrity of the facility – are truly mission-critical.
They provide the essential power, climate control, and operational functionality that the entire healthcare organization depends on. If any of these core systems were to break down or deteriorate, it would have severe, cascading consequences. The facility could lose heating or cooling, causing unbearable conditions for patients and staff. The plumbing could fail, leading to floods and water damage. And structural issues like a leaky roof or crumbling walls could even compromise the safety and integrity of the entire building.
That’s why meticulous, proactive infrastructure maintenance is absolutely crucial. By regularly inspecting these systems, performing preventative servicing, and addressing any issues before they escalate, the healthcare team can ensure everything is operating at peak performance.
It may not be the most visible or glamorous aspect of healthcare operations, but it’s an absolutely vital foundation that everything else depends on.
2. Equipment Management
At the heart of maintenance and operations’ responsibility is ensuring that all the critical medical equipment within the healthcare facility is operating correctly, safely, and in full compliance with the relevant regulations and standards.
As a facility manager, you must stay on top of tasks such as calibrating instruments, replacing worn components, and performing software updates to keep the equipment functioning at optimal levels. It’s also your responsibility to track compliance and make certain that things like safety certifications, radiation testing, and other regulatory requirements are always up-to-date.
Essentially, it’s about taking a proactive, comprehensive approach to equipment management – not just waiting for something to break, but rather implementing a disciplined program of preventative care, monitoring, and documentation.
This keeps the facility’s life-saving medical technologies running reliably and reduces the risk of equipment malfunctions that could compromise patient safety or the quality of care.
3. Comfort and Convenience Services
The “soft services” aspect refers to the non-technical, people-centric responsibilities you must oversee to maintain a safe, comfortable, and hygienic environment within the healthcare setting.
At the core of this is ensuring an exceptionally high standard of cleanliness and sanitization throughout the entire facility. This goes beyond just basic janitorial work – it involves implementing rigorous infection control protocols, deploying specialized cleaning equipment and techniques, and closely monitoring hygiene levels to prevent the spread of illnesses.
To make it simple, you want to create a holistically safe, secure, and well-maintained atmosphere that supports the healthcare organization’s primary mission of delivering the highest quality of patient care and visitors alike.
It’s a critical yet often overlooked aspect of facilities management that plays a vital role in upholding the facility’s standards, reputation, and overall functionality.
4. Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS)
A CMMS is a specialized software platform that serves as the central hub for organizing and optimizing all the maintenance-related activities, data, and resources within a healthcare facility. It acts as a comprehensive digital repository that tracks information on the organization’s critical assets – everything from medical equipment to building infrastructure.
You’re essentially tracking details on the maintenance history, performance data, replacement parts, and other key details for each asset. Additionally, the CMMS also manages the work order system, allowing your team to schedule, prioritize, and monitor all the preventative maintenance tasks, inspections, and reactive repairs that need to be performed.
5. Condition-Based Monitoring
Condition-based monitoring is a key component of a predictive maintenance strategy, which aims to proactively address equipment issues before they lead to breakdowns or failures.
The core idea is to utilize real-time monitoring and analysis techniques to continuously assess the current condition and performance of critical medical equipment and infrastructure. This often involves specialized sensors that can detect subtle changes in factors such as vibration, temperature, electrical signatures, and other indicators of impending problems.
By collecting and analyzing this data stream, your asset managers can gain valuable insights into the timeline for when a given piece of equipment will require servicing, repair, or eventual replacement.
6. Root Cause Analysis
When a vital piece of medical equipment or core building system experiences a malfunction, the maintenance team will conduct a thorough investigation to pinpoint the root causes. The goal is to develop a comprehensive understanding of what factors, whether it was improper usage, insufficient maintenance, design flaws, or environmental issues, ultimately led to the failure.
Essentially, the insights gleaned from this root cause analysis directly inform the continuous improvement of the organization’s overall O&M strategy.
Types of Maintenance Strategies For Healthcare Facilities
In general, as a healthcare property manager you’ll deal with four different main types of maintenance strategies.
Reactive maintenance
The reactive maintenance strategy means you only fix things when they break. The idea behind this strategy is that expenses incurred during operational interruptions or required repairs are generally lower than those associated with implementing a comprehensive maintenance plan.
And so, the main advantage of this reactive approach is that it requires minimal upfront investment, as facilities teams only need to allocate resources when something goes wrong. There’s no need to schedule downtime or preventative check-ups, which can seem burdensome in the fast-paced, 24/7 world of healthcare operations.
However, the downsides vastly outweigh the benefits in a medical context. Unexpected equipment failures can have severe consequences, leading to disruptions in patient care, regulatory compliance issues, and significant financial losses from unplanned downtime. Urgent, unscheduled repairs also tend to be more expensive than proactive maintenance.
Predictive Maintenance
At its core, predictive maintenance uses specialized sensors and monitoring devices to continuously collect real-time data on the condition and performance of critical equipment, such as temperature, vibration, and conductivity levels. This data is then analyzed using advanced analytics and machine learning algorithms to identify subtle changes or anomalies that could indicate an impending failure.
The key difference between predictive and preventive maintenance lies in the data being used to drive maintenance decisions.
Whereas preventive maintenance relies on historical averages and statistical models to schedule routine check-ups and servicing, predictive maintenance is based on the actual, current condition of the equipment as it operates.
By continuously monitoring asset health and using data-driven insights to predict when failures are likely to occur, maintenance teams can proactively schedule repairs and interventions at the most optimal time – before a breakdown happens. This not only reduces unplanned downtime and emergency maintenance costs, but also extends the overall lifespan and reliability of the equipment.
Preventive maintenance
The goal of a preventive maintenance strategy is to stay ahead of potential problems by identifying and addressing issues before they escalate into full-blown failures or breakdowns. This maximizes the lifespan and reliability of assets, while also minimizing the disruptive impacts of unplanned downtime.
Beyond just extending asset life, preventive maintenance also plays a crucial role in optimizing operational efficiency and consistency. By adhering to a systematic, standardized set of maintenance protocols, you can ensure your mission-critical equipment is always running at peak performance. Which then translates to better patient outcomes, improved regulatory compliance, and more predictable, cost-effective facilities management.
Routine maintenance
Routine maintenance refers to regularly scheduled, straightforward tasks aimed at identifying and addressing minor issues before they escalate into larger, more disruptive equipment failures. These tasks are typically relatively simple and can be carried out by facility staff outside of the dedicated maintenance team, such as machine operators.
Examples include the following:
- Lubricating machinery
- Replacing worn parts
- Performing basic cleaning and adjustments.
- Standard workplace maintenance, such as trash removal, floor cleaning, window cleaning, and HVAC filter replacement.
The main benefit of this routine maintenance approach is that it helps extend the lifespan and reliability of critical assets by staying ahead of potential problems. Rather than waiting for something to break down, healthcare facilities can invest a modest amount of time and effort into regular upkeep that prevents the need for costlier, more complex reactive repairs down the line. This translates to reduced equipment downtime, improved safety, and better overall productivity across the organization.
Healthcare Facility Maintenance and Operations Best Practices
Now, let’s review some of the best practices.
1. Establish Comprehensive Maintenance Schedules
Create detailed maintenance schedules for all critical equipment and building systems, covering everything from HVAC units and medical imaging devices to elevators and emergency generators.
These schedules should outline the specific inspection, servicing, and calibration tasks required for each asset, as well as the appropriate frequencies (e.g., weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly).
For example, a preventive maintenance schedule for an MRI machine might include:
- Weekly checks of coolant levels, compressor operation, and error logs.
- Quarterly maintenance of the gradient coils, radiofrequency coils, and other components.
- Annual comprehensive service that includes system testing, software updates, and thorough inspections.
2. Empower Frontline Staff
Equip facility technicians, biomedical engineers, and other frontline personnel with the training and tools to perform basic preventive maintenance tasks. This could involve teaching them how to properly lubricate equipment, change air filters, calibrate sensors, and identify early signs of wear or malfunction.
Engaging these staff members in the preventive maintenance process not only helps ensure tasks get done consistently, but also fosters a culture of shared equipment ownership and proactive problem-solving.
3. Leverage Predictive Maintenance Technologies
Augment the preventive maintenance program with advanced technologies like vibration analysis, infrared thermography, and oil analysis. These condition-monitoring techniques allow healthcare facilities to detect subtle changes in equipment performance that could indicate an impending failure, enabling them to intervene before a breakdown occurs.
For example, infrared cameras can be used to identify hot spots on electrical panels or overheating components, allowing maintenance teams to address issues before they escalate. Similarly, vibration analysis on critical rotating equipment like chillers or centrifuges can reveal bearing deterioration or imbalance problems early on.
4. Maintain Detailed Asset Records
Establish a centralized database or CMMS to track the maintenance history, performance data, and lifecycle costs of all mission-critical assets. This information can then be used to fine-tune the preventive maintenance program, identify problem areas, and make more informed capital planning decisions.
For instance, if a particular model of medical device consistently requires more frequent servicing, your maintenance team can work with the procurement group to evaluate alternatives that may be more reliable and cost-effective in the long run.
By implementing these types of proactive, data-driven preventive maintenance strategies, healthcare facilities can dramatically improve the availability, safety, and longevity of their physical infrastructure – ultimately enhancing patient care and overall operational efficiency.
How Does LLumin Advanced’s CMMS+ Solution Help
LLumin is a CMMS+ platform designed to assist healthcare facilities in effectively managing and maintaining their critical assets and infrastructure. To illustrate how our advanced CMMS+ platform can enhance your healthcare system’s daily operations and maintenance, here are some practical examples demonstrating the application of various features.
Work Order Management
Generally speaking, the maintenance team at a large hospital system is responsible for servicing dozens of critical medical devices across multiple departments. Without a centralized work order system, requests for repairs and routine maintenance often get lost in email threads or sticky note piles, leading to delayed response times and suboptimal equipment availability.
By implementing LLumin’s CMMS+, your team can now quickly create, assign, and track work orders directly within the software.
When a nurse notices an issue with an infusion pump, she can log the problem into the CMMS, which automatically alerts the appropriate biomedical technician. The tech can then access the work order details, parts inventory, and maintenance history on their mobile device, allowing them to quickly diagnose and resolve the problem.
Asset Tracking
For instance, a regional cancer center is struggling to keep tabs on its growing fleet of radiation therapy machines, CT scanners, and other high-value medical equipment.
LLumin CMMS+ can provide a comprehensive, searchable database where the facilities manager can catalog each piece of equipment, including its location, manufacturer, warranty information, and maintenance schedule. When the state regulatory body requests an inventory of all imaging devices, the manager can quickly export a report directly from the CMMS, avoiding delays and demonstrating full compliance.
Automated Scheduling
The maintenance supervisor at a busy children’s hospital often finds their team scrambling to keep up with the sheer volume of preventive maintenance tasks required across the facility’s HVAC systems, elevators, and other critical infrastructure. Important inspections and service checks sometimes get overlooked, putting equipment reliability and patient safety at risk.
By leveraging LLumin’s automated scheduling capabilities, the supervisor can set up recurring PM work orders that are triggered at the appropriate intervals. The CMMS+ then sends automated alerts and work order assignments to the right technicians, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks. This gives you, the supervisor, greater peace of mind and allows the team to stay on top of proactive maintenance.
More Reading: CMMS best practices for maintenance and operational efficiency
These are just a few examples of how LLumin’s comprehensive CMMS+ platform can be utilized by healthcare facilities to enhance their preventive maintenance programs and overcome common operational challenges. Additional features include:
- Advanced CMMS reports and dashboard capabilities
- MRO Inventory management
- OEE Monitoring
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Conclusion
Without a proper preventive maintenance program for your critical medical equipment and building systems, your healthcare facility is subject to increased downtime, unexpected equipment failures, higher repair costs, and reduced operational efficiency. This can have serious impacts on patient care and safety.
Thankfully, we’ve created this detailed guide on how you can manually develop comprehensive operation and maintenance schedules. This includes establishing recurring inspection, servicing, and calibration tasks for assets like your imaging devices, HVAC systems, emergency power, and elevators.
However, we strongly advise that you employ the use of robust CMMS+ software like LLumin to automate this maintenance planning and tracking. The LLumin platform provides the accurate historical equipment data, predictive analytics, and configurable scheduling capabilities you need to create an optimized, proactive maintenance program.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is an O&M process?
Facility operations and maintenance (O&M) refers to the wide range of activities involved in managing and sustaining the performance of an organization’s physical infrastructure and critical assets. This encompasses a diverse set of tasks focused on ensuring that key equipment, building systems, and other mission-critical resources are functioning efficiently, reliably, and safely on an ongoing basis.
What is the difference between maintenance and operation?
Operations in a healthcare facility involve using medical equipment, building systems, and other assets to deliver patient care and support core functions, such as running imaging devices, HVAC systems, and elevators. In contrast, maintenance encompasses the activities required to keep those physical assets functioning reliably and efficiently over time. This involves preventive measures like inspections, servicing, and calibrations, as well as reactive repairs when equipment breaks down.
What are the methods of O&M?
The three primary O&M methods are reactive maintenance, preventive maintenance, and predictive maintenance. Reactive maintenance involves repairing or replacing equipment only after it has broken down or malfunctioned. Preventive maintenance focuses on scheduled inspections, servicing, and calibrations to keep equipment running smoothly and prevent issues before they occur. Lastly, predictive maintenance uses data analytics and condition monitoring to predict when equipment is likely to fail, allowing for proactive interventions to avoid breakdowns.
Karen Rossi is a seasoned operations leader with over 30 years of experience empowering software development teams and managing corporate operations. With a track record of developing and maintaining comprehensive products and services, Karen runs company-wide operations and leads large-scale projects as COO of LLumin.