What Does a Digital Clock Have In Common With Healthcare?

Parkridge Health System Answers That Question with Fast ER Wait Times

The Parkridge system has been focused on a process improvement initiative over the past several years. This initiative incorporates elements of LEAN methodology to streamline registration, evaluation and treatment processes in its hospital emergency departments to affect better care and a higher degree of patient satisfaction. 

“Parkridge Health System knows that the Emergency Room is a front door to our hospitals, and year after year, we are seeing more patients, and more acute (sicker) patients in our hospital Emergency Departments,” said Darrell Moore, president of Parkridge Health System which includes Parkridge Medical Center in downtown Chattanooga and Parkridge East Hospital in East Ridge. “Our process improvement initiative ensures that we fulfill our commitment to deliver quality patient care in a manner that results in a better care experience with better patient interaction.”

Moore said, “The goal is to get the patients who come to our emergency rooms to a bed and  to see a physician as quickly as possible, because we know that the sooner a patient is seen by a medical provider, the faster appropriate diagnostics can begin, leading to faster treatment overall.”

The wait time is defined as: from the time a patient comes in the door at the emergency room until they see a physician or other qualified medical provider (nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant under the supervision of an M.D.).  Triage processes are also in place and a patient that comes in with a life-threatening medical condition would always be seen immediately.

Employment of the LEAN methodology has helped Parkridge Health System standardize processes in its emergency departments from the point a patient enters one of the facilities, through triage, to medical screening exam, registration and beyond. 

“We have eliminated duplication of effort, time-wasters and excess processing,” said Robin Marsh, RN, Emergency Department Director. “Some of the things we have implemented seem very simple and logical, but make such good sense and really result in a better overall experience for our patients.”

For example, both Parkridge Medical Center and Parkridge East Hospital feature bedside registration so that patients are not repeatedly asked to provide the same information multiple times.  Often the physician, nurse and registrar are in the room at the same time.  Other examples Marsh cited include a standardization of emergency departments so that every room is set up the same way, with a designated location for needed items and standardized systems for keeping supplies close at hand.

Another key component of the initiative involved an evaluation of peak times for patient volume. Staffing and support are adjusted to ensure that each hospital has the right staffing at the right times - this varies by hospital and by community, explained Mr. Moore.

Parkridge Health System has launched a unique education campaign to share the news of its Emergency departments’ efficiencies.  The campaign includes several billboards around Chattanooga, with one that features a digital clock showing the average wait time at Parkridge Medical Center.  Other billboards promote a text messaging feature that allows consumers to text ER to 23000 from any mobile device to get the average wait times at the Parkridge hospital nearest the zip code where they are located.  For iPhone users, there is a new web-based application that can be loaded to an individual’s iPhone to provide those rolling average wait times which are updated every 30 minutes.  The wait times will also be featured on the Parkridge Medical Center and Parkridge East Hospital websites.

The technology is powered by an RSS feed that is connected to the hospitals’ MEDITECH tracking system.  According to Moore, Parkridge will also use print, radio and other mediums to help communicate with consumers.

“We understand that healthcare consumers are highly engaged in making their own choices about where they turn for services,” he said.  “We believe that our process improvement and efficiency efforts will result in increased patient satisfaction and a better overall experience for our patients.”

Parkridge Health System is a multi-campus facility which includes Parkridge Medical Center, Parkridge East Hospital and Parkridge Valley. Parkridge Medical Center, our main campus on McCallie Avenue, offers comprehensive acute care services including cardiology, oncology at our Commission on Cancer approved Sarah Cannon Cancer Center, complete surgical services including the first robotics surgery program in the region, award-winning orthopaedics, and Emergency Services Department designated as an Accredited Chest Pain Center.  Parkridge East Hospital is a full service hospital located in East Ridge providing the best in obstetrics including Neonatal Intensive Care, surgical services including robotics, orthopaedics, and gynecological procedures, as well as an Emergency Services Department also designated as an Accredited Chest Pain Center.   Parkridge Valley, our behavioral health facility, offers mental health services for children, adolescents and adults as well as treatments for addictive disorders.  We are a family of hospitals for your family. To learn more, visit www.ParkridgeMedicalCenter.com or contact MedLine at (800) 242-5662.