Patient Flow Enewsletter
Volume 2, Issue 2
Thursday, April 7, 2005
In this Issue
:- Perspectives: Using an Engineer's Perspective to Improve ED Efficiency
- Best Practices: Redesigning the Charge Nurse Role to Manage Patient Flow
- Innovations: San Diego County's Solution to Ambulance Diversions
Perspectives
Using an Engineer's Perspective to Improve ED Efficiency
Northwestern Memorial Hospital has been increasingly looking at emergency department efficiency with an engineer's eye. James Adams, M.D., professor and chair, department of emergency medicine; Northwestern Memorial Hospital; Northwestern University spoke to Urgent Matters about this approach and what healthcare professionals can learn from looking at engineering principles and examples from other industrial sectors.
Best Practices
Redesigning the Charge Nurse Role to Manage Patient Flow
Primary Children's Medical Center (PCMC) has seen a steady increase in patient volume since 1994, reaching almost 40,000 patients in 2003. With no individual in charge of patient flow, this caused an increase in patients leaving without treatment, a decrease in patient satisfaction and lowered staff morale. Donna Thomas, R.N., M.S.N, director of the PCMC's emergency department rapid treatment unit, shares how they redesigned the role of the charge nurse to improve patient flow.
Innovations
San Diego County's Solution to Ambulance Diversion
For San Diego County, population increases and area emergency department (ED) closures were causing frequent ambulance diversions and times when nearly all of their EDs were simultaneously on diversion. Gary Vilke, M.D., medical director of San Diego County EMS and associate professor of clinical medicine, University of California at San Diego explained the causes of the problem to Urgent Matters and shared San Diego County's solution to ambulance diversions.
