ED Management – April 1, 2009
April 1, 2009
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ED Management special focus: Cutting costs and improving efficiency
Keeping costs under control is always an important consideration for ED managers, but in these challenging economic times, it has become critical. -
Staffing strategies help ED save more than $1 million a year
The ED at Catawba Valley Medical Center in Hickory, NC, has realized annual savings in excess of $1 million with the implementation of staffing strategies that involved the virtual elimination of contract staff and overtime for nurses. -
Scribes help ED avoid expense of hiring PAs
The hiring of physician scribes, known as "clinical information managers," has helped Saddleback Memorial Medical Center, a five-hospital system based in Laguna Hills, CA, to save a significant amount of money by avoiding the hiring of physician assistants (PAs) for its two EDs. -
Redesign helps EDs improve patient flow
The ED managers and administrators at Cuyahoga Falls (OH) General Hospital and the Greater Baltimore Medical Center agree that careful attention to design considerations in their new departments significantly improved patient flow and communications among staff members. -
Patient education program slashes ED readmissions
A new initiative at Boston University Medical Center called the Re-Engineered Hospital Discharge Program (RED) has significantly reduced additional ED visits and readmissions. -
Ice storm fails to freeze smooth ED operations
While a recent severe ice storm in Owensboro, KY, held most of the city in a standstill for several days, well-laid plans for just such a disaster helped keep ED staffing at adequate levels in the Owensboro Medical Health System. -
ENA study cites barriers to NPSG compliance
While the response rate (4.6%) was small, the message delivered in the results of a survey by the Emergency Nurses' Association (ENA) was huge: Significant barriers still remain to compliance with National Patient Safety Goals (NPSGs) in the ED.