• ED Manag. 2013 Dec 1; 25 (12): 136-9.

AbstractTo address declining volumes and suboptimal patient satisfaction in the ED, administrators at North Adams Regional Hospital used lean techniques to eliminate waste and streamline the triage process. A few months into the new approach, administrators say that average daily visits to the ED have increased from 42 to 54, and patient satisfaction scores have jumped 25 points on Press Ganey surveys. Participants also report the approach has resulted in improved cooperation among ED staff and lower noise levels. Participants on a lean improvement team implemented a three-step triage process that connects patients with a provider quickly. The approach enables non-essential data gathering to take place later in the visit. The team also divided the ED into pods so that nurses can be assigned to three or four contiguous rooms. This approach eliminates unnecessary movement and makes it easier for physicians to find a patient's assigned nurse. The hospital is now leveraging the same improvement process to work on ED-to-hospital admissions and a process for handling unexpected patient surges.

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