Adena Health System in Chillicothe, Ohio, is expanding its emergency department and making internal changes to improve patient visits, according to a Chillicothe Gazette report.
The $36.1 million, 40,000-square-foot expansion portion of the two-phase project will increase ED beds from 31 to 41 in the first phase and 57 by the end of the second phase. It will also feature a designated entrance for patients experiencing chemical exposure, an area for Adena's resident education program and an area to coordinate emergency responses for significant public health situations. The expanded ED is expected to open June 2018.
The second phase of the ED renovation, which is expected to be complete June 2019, includes a new cafe, a new hospital entrance, a more comfortable waiting area and a universal registration station for patients to sign in anywhere in the hospital.
However, one of the most important ED changes is happening inside the hospital, according to Jeff Graham, Adena Health System's CEO. The change centers on a "focus huddle," where physicians, hospital administrators, pharmacists, nurses, IT staff and support services come together to discuss the ED patient experience.
"We look at inpatient length of stay and length of stay if you're coming in and being discharged the same day," Mr. Graham said. "We also look at how long it takes for X-rays, labs and how long it takes to fill a prescription in our pharmacy."
In the 15-minute daily huddle, representatives from each department provide updates on operations and procedures. ED statistics show that since the huddles began, the average time it takes patients to see a physician has decreased from 30 minutes to 23 minutes, 78 percent of the time.
In addition to decreasing wait times, the daily huddles have helped staff members work together across departments to address issues more quickly than in the past.