Patient Flow Enewsletter
Volume 1, Issue 1
Thursday, December 11, 2003
In this Issue
:- Perspectives: It's Time to Share Tools to Mend the Safety Net
- Best Practices: 10 Hospitals Test Strategies to Improve Patient Flow and Reduce Emergency Department Crowding
- Site Interview: Gail Warden on Detroit's Plans to Overhaul Health Delivery
- Innovations: Achieving Better Patient Care with Supply Management Technology
Perspectives
It's Time to Share Tools to Mend the Safety Net
This newsletter is a project of Urgent Matters, an initiative to strengthen health care safety nets in communities throughout the nation. Spearheaded by a team at The George Washington University, the project aims to assess the state of the safety net and provide valuable management tools for America's hospitals. Each newsletter will look at successful strategies from participating hospitals, examine the state of local safety nets, and highlight those who are leading the way in promoting innovative approaches.
Best Practices
10 Hospitals Test Strategies to Improve Patient Flow and Reduce Emergency Department Crowding
Ten U.S. hospitals have been selected to participate in the Urgent Matters Learning Network to provide tools and information to other hospitals facing similar stresses to their EDs. The Network involves identifying and testing strategies to cut wait times, streamline processes, and improve quality.
Site Interview
Gail Warden on Detroit's Plans to Overhaul Health Delivery
The city of Detroit and the larger Wayne County area face many health care delivery challenges, including the need to assure adequate funding for safety net services. Urgent Matters spoke with Gail Warden, former president and CEO of the Henry Ford Health System, about Detroit's health care crisis and efforts to provide workable solutions.
Innovations
Achieving Better Patient Care with Supply Management Technology
In the near future, patients receiving trauma care at the Regional Medical Center at Memphis Emergency Department may be quietly tracked using radio frequency identification technology to find out exactly how patients spend their time at the hospital.
