St. Joseph Hospital in Nashua redesigns emergency room to decrease wait times
By David Brooks, The Telegraph, Nashua, N.H. | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
"We don't want anyone waiting," Dr.
It will open Tuesday after more than two years of planning and construction. A ribbon-cutting will be held Monday.
The design and technology of the 15,500-square-foot department aim to make it easier to handle more patients, cut the "door-to-provider" time that takes place between arrival and treatment, and speed up treatment and processes so patients can leave.
For example, the 20 acute-care rooms that ring the core facilities for clinical staff are largely identical, so they can handle almost anything that comes through the door with portable equipment, or necessary equipment that is duplicated, including cardiac monitors in every room.
"We will bring things to the patient rather than taking patient to specialized rooms," said
"If somebody comes in with a laceration, and there's already (a patient) in the laceration/suture room, you won't have to wait," Martin said.
The two extra rooms and expected improved flow of patients will help during the busy times, which are par for the course in emergency departments.
"We're full pretty often," Beinhaur said. "With this, we won't have to put patients in hallways."
In 2012, it shifted the physical therapy unit to a separate building on
The process cost about
It's a coincidence that the ribbon-cutting will occur just as the Affordable Care Act moves past its first big sign-up deadline, but the two events aren't unconnected.
A big part of the effort to control health care costs involves shifting patients away from expensive emergency rooms when trauma or other critical care isn't needed, yet
"Probably a majority of people (who come to an ER) don't qualify as true emergencies, and that has been the case for decades," Martin said.
It's unclear what the effect of expanded health insurance through the Affordable Care Act will have. A
Whatever happens, Martin said
Two of the new acute-care rooms are oversize and can hold more than one patient at a time; another room contains decontamination equipment to clean toxins off people after accidents -- the old facility was outdoors, which made things tough in winter. In addition, three rooms were made more secure for patients with mental health issues, designed to increase safety for patients and staff.
Technology is everywhere; even the timepieces on the wall are atomic clocks, so everybody is synchronized.
It will be staffed by an emergency department physician on a "26-hour" schedule, meaning three shifts that overlap for two one-hour periods each day; three to eight nurses, depending on the time of day; and other clinical and support staff, including per-diem clinicians who can be called in as necessary.
No new positions have been created for the department, but decisions may change as patient traffic patterns become known.
"Depending on what happens, we will judge what we need," Beinhaur said.
Above and beyond the treatment and medical practice improvements, working in new, modern surroundings has a psychological benefit, Martin and Beinhaur said.
"I recruited two new physicians to start this summer ... and I'm sure this helped," Martin said.
Beinhaur said that even the temporary facility produced an effect, thanks to some new equipment and the ability to experiment with different layouts and patterns.
"It really did change how patients felt, how the staff felt," she said.
But the new emergency department will be even better.
"Everything is crisp and new," she said. "It has been a long time coming."
___
___
(c)2014 The Telegraph (Nashua, N.H.)
Visit The Telegraph (Nashua, N.H.) at www.nashuatelegraph.com
Distributed by MCT Information Services
Wordcount: | 797 |
Newly insured patients find they can’t use local hospital or doctors
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News