To prevent discharge delays and patient flow bottlenecks, hospitals need more effective, modern tools that enable proactive decision-making.
During a recent Becker’s Healthcare webinar sponsored by LeanTaaS, Sharon Barnicle, executive director, revenue cycle, at Springhill Medical Center in Mobile, Ala., discussed how Springhill leveraged AI to reduce average length of stay (LOS) by half a day, cut discharge processing time in half and achieve 90% compliance with estimated date of discharge.
Four key takeaways were:
- As health systems strive to unlock capacity, they often face numerous hurdles. Springhill Medical Center had siloed workflows and minimal collaboration among teams. Manual processes and lack of real-time information contributed to capacity constraints, which impacted patient flow and length of stay. Solutions like daily emails with performance metrics and unit-based and physician group huddles failed to deliver results. “This is what led us to seek a more comprehensive solution to bridge the gaps,” Ms. Barnicle said.
- Capacity constraints hinder organizational sustainability and financial growth. Springhill Medical Center recognized that inefficient patient flow directly impacted its bottom line and its ability to serve more patients effectively.
To increase and better manage its capacity, the organization turned to LeanTaaS. “The implementation of iQueue for Inpatient Flow catalyzed a transformative journey toward operational excellence,” Ms. Barnicle said. “It provided the comprehensive solution we needed to bridge collaboration and communication gaps, while providing real-time visibility into our internal initiatives.”
- Optimized discharge planning reduces length of stay. LeanTaaS’ iQueue for Inpatient Flow solution enables care teams to predict estimated discharge dates (EDDs), identify patients ready for discharge, monitor outpatients in inpatient beds, and detect potential ED readmissions early. At Springhill Medical Center, these capabilities have aligned care teams on precise discharge targets that match forecasted demand, improving proactive discharge planning and enhancing visibility into patient flow.
“Within the first two months of using iQueue for Inpatient Flow, we reduced our average LOS by half a day, which is remarkable in such a short period of time,” Ms. Barnicle said. “That has enhanced patient throughput and better utilization of hospital resources.”
- Streamlined discharge processes help maximize capacity and patient flow. iQueue for Inpatient Flow provides automated alerts, which reduce delays for homebound discharges. In addition, enhanced visibility into ED bottlenecks increases early discharges.
At Springhill Medical Center, discharge processing times were reduced by over 50% (down to less than two hours), EDD compliance increased by 90% and the volume of outpatients in a bed decreased by 50%.
“Our journey toward operational excellence is far from over. We remain committed to raising the bar and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible,” Ms. Barnicle said. “Our partnership with LeanTaaS will play a pivotal role in achieving our ambitious goals around length of stay and discharge processing time.”
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