Case study: installation of a recharging cabin in a hospital

With the level of fatigue and stress in the health care system at an all-time high, solutions related to the well-being of frontline workers are emerging. In order to fight against employee burnout but also to recognize the dedication and involvement of hospital staff, some health care institutions have taken the gamble of installing RecharjME rest cabins in their facilities. How is this innovative concept implemented, and more importantly, what are the implications?

Solutions related to the well-being of frontline workers

Analysis and understanding of innovation

The first contacts are usually with the hospital’s human resources department, as this is the department most aware of the level of fatigue, stress, or absenteeism of employees. This first exchange is often the opportunity to discover this innovative service and to create a first contact.

It is not uncommon for other parties to have to validate some of the more technical information: the size of the cabin, sanitary measures or power consumption. Typically, this meeting involves the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), Safety and Health and Safety (H&S) departments.

Following this meeting, the person in charge of the project generally presents all the information gathered to the management of the hospital or the Integrated Center for approval of the project.

If agreed, we sign an agreement and plan the installation!

The installation is getting organized!

Once the contracts have been obtained, Recharjme’s teams organize the entire project management: validation of the location of the cabins in the hospital, setting up the reservation platform and the managers’ portal and, of course, manufacturing the cabins in the workshop.

When everything is ready, the installation is programmed. It takes less than 3 hours to install a RecharjME rest cabin. During these three hours, the installation team is autonomous.

After testing the cabins for proper operation, an official launch is planned. During this launch, the Recharjme team is available on site to answer any questions, especially about the operation of the cabins. This demystifies the concept and creates a strong buzz about it.

Cabin monitoring

But RecharjME’s work doesn’t stop once the booths are installed. The team remains present, especially during the month following installation, to ensure that the cabins are working properly.

As the RecharJme offer is turnkey, the young startup’s team also takes care of the maintenance. Several observation visits are made throughout the contract. You may come across them from time to time in your hallways!

The project managers in the hospital have a portal to view the use of the service in real time. Detailed usage statistics are also available.

Finally, surveys are reported to understand the impact of the service on user stress and fatigue.

Conclusions

Recharjme booths have already found their way into many hospitals. Innovative, easy to set up and low on resources thanks to their high level of autonomy, the Recharjme cabins are a strong gesture of recognition to the staff. Unlike other mental health initiatives, the RecharjME rest rooms appear to be an effective way to combat stress and fatigue in the health care system.

The Urban Health Foundation organized a bicycle challenge to finance two Recharjme rest cabins for the well-being of the staff of the CIUSSS Centre Sud de Montréal. The cabins are installed in the Verdun and Notre-Dame hospitals.

On the booths are the names of the cyclists to thank them for their involvement.

There are more than 600 users and nearly 3000 reservations!