Streamlining Pre-Admission Operations: 30% Efficiency Gain with Digital Queue
How Centro Cardiovascular transformed patient flow, reduced interruptions, and reclaimed 40 hours per month
March 3, 2026
The Challenge: Congested Patient Flow
The Pre-Admission Department at Centro Cardiovascular faced a common operational challenge: scheduled appointments alone were not enough to prevent waiting room congestion. Even with hourly scheduling, many patients arrived early, creating crowding and making it harder to manage care priority efficiently. Staff often had to step away from registration windows to locate patients, interrupting workflow and creating inefficiencies throughout the day. The result was added operational friction, slower throughput, and more pressure on both patients and the administrative team.
"One of our main challenges was organizing patients by registration window and appointment time, which directly affected departmental flow and created operational friction."
, Juan Rodríguez, Admissions Supervisor, Centro Cardiovascular de Puerto Rico y del Caribe
The Solution: Digital Queue for Smarter Patient Flow
Digital Queue was deployed to bring structure and visibility to the pre-admission process. The system routes patients by service line and registration window, sends SMS notifications when their turn approaches, and supports dynamic prioritization based on acuity and service type,enabling better triage and more efficient assignment.
"Patients now receive an SMS notification when their turn is approaching. They can also track their place in line on the department monitor in real time and report directly to the correct registration window,without interrupting our workflow."
, Juan Rodríguez, Admissions Supervisor, Centro Cardiovascular de Puerto Rico y del Caribe
Measurable Operational Impact
Equivalent to a 30% efficiency improvement in pre-admission operations
More organized, predictable patient flow with the same volume
Digital Queue transformed how the department operates. Patient flow became more predictable, staff could focus on their core responsibilities, and daily patient volume remained constant,while operational time decreased significantly.
"We improved the pre-admission process by approximately 30%, reclaiming 40 hours per month that we can now redirect to higher-value tasks."
, Juan Rodríguez, Admissions Supervisor, Centro Cardiovascular de Puerto Rico y del Caribe
Key Results
- 40 hours reclaimed per month (≈2 hours per day) without reducing daily patient volume
- Fewer interruptions at registration windows by keeping patients informed proactively
- Clear operational metrics to support executive decision-making and performance visibility
Improved Patient Experience
SMS notifications helped patients stay informed about their status, reducing uncertainty during the wait and improving their overall perception of care quality and responsiveness.
"Patients respond positively to the notifications. They feel more informed and supported throughout the admission process."
, Juan Rodríguez, Admissions Supervisor, Centro Cardiovascular de Puerto Rico y del Caribe
Designed for Staff, Built for Immediate Adoption
Digital Queue was designed to be intuitive for staff, making adoption easy from day one without complex training. By simplifying patient flow and reducing interruptions, teams can stay focused on registration tasks while delivering a more efficient front-desk experience.
Executive Visibility and Data-Driven Decisions
What Gets Measured Gets Improved
TRACKED METRICS
Daily Registration Volume
Visibility into patient throughput and daily department activity
Average Time Per Patient
Measure process efficiency and identify improvement opportunities
Registration Window Utilization
Evaluate performance by service point and inform staffing decisions
Digital Queue provides key operational metrics that support departmental performance analysis and executive reporting. These metrics are presented in revenue cycle meetings with leadership, enabling data-driven decision-making and continuous operational improvement.
"The system gives us clear metrics to evaluate operational performance and present concrete results to executive leadership."
, Juan Rodríguez, Admissions Supervisor, Centro Cardiovascular de Puerto Rico y del Caribe
Sustained Operational Improvement
Digital Queue reduced pre-admission processing time by approximately 2 hours per day,a 30% improvement in operational efficiency,while maintaining the same daily patient volume. Beyond workflow improvements, the platform introduced operational metrics that are now presented in executive meetings, strengthening data-driven decision-making within the revenue cycle.
This case demonstrates that integrating digital workflows into hospital operations is not only feasible,it delivers measurable operational impact, strengthens administrative management, and positively contributes to both patient experience and care quality.