Delivering timely, compassionate care to patients receiving infusion treatments is both a clinical and operational imperative. For the team at Inova Schar Cancer, part of Inova Health in Northern Virginia, the challenge was clear: as patient volumes rose, wait times grew longer, and both patients and team members felt the strain. We knew we needed to rethink how we managed infusion scheduling and capacity – not by adding chairs or building new space, but by transforming how we used the resources we already had.
Patient wait times and scheduling complexity
Inova serves a large and diverse population across the greater Washington, D.C., region. Many of our oncology patients are managing complex conditions, balancing multiple appointments, and relying on us to provide not only excellent clinical care but also predictability and comfort during a vulnerable time in their lives.
Yet like many cancer centers across the country, we faced the challenge of managing patient flow in an increasingly complex environment. Chairs were often overbooked midday, causing bottlenecks that delayed treatments and increased stress for nurses. Early and late hours were underutilized, leaving valuable capacity untapped. Even small disruptions like late arrivals, medication preparation delays, or add-on appointments could ripple across the schedule, compounding delays throughout the day.
Long waits are more than an inconvenience; they represent additional anxiety for patients and a difficult work environment for team members. Our goal was simple: to restore balance, create a smoother experience, and maintain access to high-quality care as demand grew.
Using AI and data to drive better flow
In 2019, Inova began working with LeanTaaS to implement iQueue for Infusion Centers, an AI-enabled scheduling and optimization platform. The goal was to increase capacity and reduce wait times without requiring additional physical resources.
The technology uses predictive analytics to level-load the infusion schedule, aligning appointment types and lengths throughout the day. It helps staff anticipate peaks, identify available capacity, and adjust proactively based on patient demand. Over time, the system continuously learns from operational data to refine scheduling templates, helping ensure that the “right patient” is placed in the “right chair” at the “right time.”
In practical terms, this meant transitioning from static scheduling to a dynamic, data-driven approach. The AI models forecasted daily appointment volumes, predicted treatment duration mixes, and provided visibility into capacity and bottlenecks. Our teams used these insights to make real-time decisions, whether adjusting schedules to accommodate add-ons or planning staffing levels to match projected demand.
Measurable improvements in access and experience
Since implementation, the results at Inova’s adult infusion centers have been significant. Across our two largest locations, at the Inova Center for Personalized Health (ICPH) and on the Inova Fair Oaks Hospital (IFOH) campus we have seen:
- Increased patient throughput: Completed appointments rose by 11% year-over-year in 2024. Compared to pre-implementation, ICPH saw a 151% increase in daily completed appointments, and IFOH a 42% increase.
- Reduced patient wait times: Average infusion wait times decreased by 41% at Fairfax IFOH and 28% at ICPH year-over-year in 2024, even as volumes increased. Since the initial implementation in 2020, average wait times have fallen 58% during peak hours (from 12 to 5 minutes).
- Improved team member experience: More predictable and balanced scheduling helped reduce midday congestion and nurse workload variability.
- Significant return on investment: The optimization work has contributed to an estimated 32x annualized ROI in 2024, driven by increased patient access and throughput.
These operational gains translate directly to the patient experience. Patients are seated more quickly, treatments start on time, and care feels more coordinated. For team members, the smoother flow has reduced daily stress, improved communication across pharmacy and nursing teams, and created more consistent workloads.
Continuous improvement: Building systemness and sustainability
As the program has matured, we’ve continued to refine and expand our approach. Last summer, we moved from 30-minute to 15-minute scheduling intervals, which further smoothed patient flow and decreased wait times by 34%. We also implemented new “fast-track” injection chairs to better serve short-duration treatments.
This year, we expanded our optimization work to two additional sites – Inova Loudoun and Inova Mark Center/Alexandria – marking an important milestone in achieving true systemness across our infusion network. This expansion allows us to apply the same data-driven approach to balancing volumes, aligning staffing, and forecasting capacity across all locations.
Inova is also using iQueue’s staffing tools to help leadership precisely match staffing to real-time patient demand. This capability goes beyond scheduling – it supports balanced workloads, improves team member well-being, and ensures consistent coverage during high-volume periods.
Beyond individual site improvements, we’re now working toward greater systemness across Inova. By using predictive modeling and shared scheduling insights across multiple infusion sites, we can balance volumes, align staffing, and plan for long-term capacity needs. This integrated approach ensures that every patient regardless of where they receive care benefits from the same high level of access and operational excellence.
Lessons learned
Optimizing infusion operations requires both technology and culture change. While AI-enabled tools provide the data and recommendations, it’s the engagement of clinical and operational leaders that makes transformation possible. Our success was built on close collaboration between nursing, pharmacy, scheduling, and administration, all aligned around the shared goal of improving access to care.
Perhaps most importantly, this journey has reminded us that operational excellence is a form of clinical excellence. Every minute saved in patient wait time is a minute given back to comfort, dignity, and care. Every balanced workload helps nurses focus on what they do best: caring for patients.
By combining human expertise with advanced technology, we’ve created an infusion delivery model that is more agile, more efficient, and more compassionate. The result is not just better numbers on a dashboard. It’s a better experience for patients and staff alike.
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