We are excited to announce the launch of the Low Acuity Throughput Improvement Project. This initiative aims to enhance the care experience for our patients aged 18-42, who frequently visit our emergency department (ED) with less severe issues (classified as Emergency Severity Index (ESI) 4 and 5). It was identified that compared to regional data our patients aged 18-42 with less severe issues experienced long wait times in our Vacaville Emergency Department.
Abby Geiger, RN Staff Nurse III and co-chair of our Emergency Department Experience Committee proposed a solution to expedite care for these patients. Her innovative idea was to establish a dedicated evaluation chair, allowing low acuity patients to be seen promptly, even when all Rapid Care beds are occupied. A Rapid Care physician would then assess them and swiftly order necessary treatments.
Abby collaborated with doctors, nurses, and administrators to create a new system, train the staff, and monitor the project’s progress. Weekly meetings were conducted to gather feedback and make necessary adjustments. Several nurses volunteered to help oversee the new process and ensure it achieved our objectives.
For patients without additional tests like lab or radiology orders, our goal was to reduce their stay to less than 60 minutes. Before the project, only 20-25% of these patients were seen within this timeframe. Following the implementation of the new system, this improved to 43%.
