Enhancing Ergonomics at Woolwich Community Health Centre

Background

Woolwich Community Health Centre (WCHC), located in Southwestern Ontario, embarked on a mission to upgrade their new facility’s furniture to enhance ergonomics and meet the specific needs of their healthcare professionals and patients. The center’s journey with ergoCentric began through their CEO, who had previous positive experiences with the company’s products at another healthcare facility.

The challenge

WCHC needed to furnish their new clinic with ergonomic, durable, and aesthetically pleasing furniture that could withstand the rigors of a healthcare environment. The primary requirements included:

Ergonomic seating for both staff and patients.

Height-adjustable desks for clinical and exam rooms.

Monitor arms that allow staff to adjust to the way they work.

Durable upholstery that could withstand hospital-grade cleaners and prevent slips.

The solution

After consulting with an ergoCentric® representative, WCHC decided to purchase seating that incorporates healtHcentric’s Frixion™ medical-grade upholstery to provide a truly ergonomic seating solution for both staff and patients. The Frixion anti-slip upholstery is specifically designed for clinical settings, incorporating real-world feedback from professionals in these environments. It offers both ergonomic benefits and durability, keeping users engaged with the chair’s back and lumbar support while preventing slips and falls – a common workplace hazard in labs and clinics that use slippery coated upholsteries. Additionally, Frixion is resistant to hospital-grade cleaners and disinfectants, making it ideal for use in various clinical areas.

In response to employee requests for adjustable desks, WCHC decided on the electric height-adjustable desks, moving away from the less flexible desk risers previously in use. The upCentric® tables offered a more dynamic solution, allowing employees to easily adjust desk height to fit their needs and alternate between sitting and standing positions throughout the day. Utilizing upCentric Height Adjustable Desks in the exam rooms allows employees to more easily engage with patients, improving the patient experience.

To maximize the desk space, WCHC added Zgonic monitor arms to lift the workstations’ computer monitor off the desks. This move created more workspace on the already compact desks and facilitated easy adjustment of the monitor to ergonomic positions. They complemented this setup with an upCentric® cable management basket and an upCentric vertical cable management solution, tidying up the area for a more professional appearance and enhanced productivity.

healtHcentric Technician Stool

upCentric Height Adjustable Desk

Zgonic ZG1 monitor arm

From left to right: healtHcentric Technician Stool, upCentric Height Adjustable Desk, Zgonic ZG1 Monitor Arm

Implementation

The ergoCentric® team delivered a comprehensive and customized solution for WCHC, a facility known for its high standards in patient care and workplace efficiency. They began by conducting a thorough walkthrough of the old previous facility and carefully reviewing the architectural plans for the new building to understand the specific requirements.

Recognizing WCHC’s commitment to excellence, ergoCentric provided detailed mock-ups and visual aids to ensure the proposed furniture solutions would enhance staff well-being and productivity and the facilities functionality and aesthetics. While increasing the facility’s functionality, the team carefully delivered and installed the furniture, ensuring that everything was set up correctly and met WCHC’s requirements for ergonomic support, durability, and cleanliness. This personalized approach ensured a seamless transition to the new, high-performance workstations that aligned withWCHC’s dedication to providing the best possible care and comfort for their staff and patients.

Experience with ergoCentric

Paula, a key decision-maker at WCHC, highlighted several positive aspects of working with ergoCentric. She appreciated the personalized service, noting that unlike other suppliers, ergoCentric provided a dedicated representative who offered consistent support and follow-through from start to finish. The delivery and installation process was also seamless; the Installation Technician was noted for his professionalism and efficiency, ensuring that everything was set up to Paula’s satisfaction. Furthermore, the superior product quality, particularly the Frixion upholstery, received high praise from the staff for its non-slip properties and ergonomic support. Nurse practitioners, like Karen, especially appreciated the comfort and safety it provided.

"A nurse at Woolwich Community Health Centre, commented: ‘I really love the material that’s on the seat. It’s not slippery and is ergonomically friendly for your back, making you sit up straight.’ She would slide off the old stools and now she doesn’t, because of this lovely material. It’s very grippy."

Paula Ballak, RPN, TEACH, OMSC, PATSS
Clinical Nurse Primary Care / Rural Community Health Worker

Why the solution worked

The healtHcentric™ task chairs with Frixion upholstery and upCentric electric height adjustable desks provided a notable advantage by improving workspace ergonomics and reducing work related strain, significantly enhancing the overall work experience for staff and patients. The furniture’s durability and ability to withstand rigorous cleaning without deteriorating was a crucial benefit in WCHC’s demanding healthcare environment. Moreover, the Frixion upholstery’s non-slip properties played a critical role in preventing slip and fall accidents, ensuring a safer workplace. Adding to this, the healtHcentric task chairs came with a warranty, underscoring their long-term reliability
and quality.

ergoCentric’s collaborative approach was another key highlight. The willingness to troubleshoot and adapt solutions based on WCHC’s feedback ensured a tailored fit for the specific needs of the facility and to their staff. This personalized service, combined with products, made a significant positive impact on the daily operations at WCHC reported high satisfaction with the improvements.

The partnership between WCHC and ergoCentric exemplifies how tailored ergonomic solutions can significantly enhance the staff well-being and productivity and the facility functionality
and comfort.

Woolwich plans to continue working with ergoCentric for future furniture needs, further cementing the relationship and ensuring that their facility remains equipped with high performance solutions.

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