ED Management articles from December 2008

ED Management archives from December 2008

New computer network helps EDs to reduce redundant test orders.
December 1, 2008... New computer network helps EDs to reduce redundant test orders Observers see significant savings, benefits in patient safety A new pilot program that allows EDs and health care systems across Milwaukee to share patient information is...

Exchange leader says collaboration a must.(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... Exchange leader says collaboration a must The establishment of a communitywide patient information sharing system by the Wisconsin Health Information Exchange (WHIE) was a collaborative effort from the start, says Kim Pemble, WHIE's...

Dayton health network learning from mistakes.
December 1, 2008... Dayton health network learning from mistakes The Greater Dayton (OH) Area Health Information Network (GDAHIN) was established in 1998, but local EDs have not been benefitting from the network for the entire 10 years; in fact, it was turned...

CMS memo OKs use of standing orders.
December 1, 2008... CMS memo OKs use of standing orders Physician's signature no longer required ED managers, hospital leaders, emergency medicine, and hospital organizations breathed a sigh of relief on Oct. 24, 2008, when the Centers for Medicare &...

2009 OPPS rule is good news for EDs.
December 1, 2008... 2009 OPPS rule is good news for EDs Trauma response, critical care receive pay boost Every year at about this time, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) publishes its final Out-patient Prospective Payment System (OPPS)...

Composite APCs set for imaging.
December 1, 2008... Composite APCs set for imaging As part of its Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) payment rule for 2009, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has established a multiple imaging composite methodology, which means it...

EDs are using 'GEMs' to improve elder care.
December 1, 2008... EDs are using 'GEMs' to improve elder care 2 years of specialized training required Several EDs in the Canadian Province of Ontario have significantly improved their care for elderly patients with the introduction of a new position...

Criteria used when assessing elderly patients.
December 1, 2008... Criteria used when assessing elderly patients Geriatric emergency management (GEM) nurses at Toronto's Humber River Regional Hospital (HRHH) use a strict set of criteria when assessing elderly patients in the ED and determining if they are...

Government program funds ED 'GEMs'.(emergency department)(geriatric emergency management)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... Government program funds ED 'GEMs' Eight EDs in the Canadian Province of Ontario have benefitted from government funding in the hiring of geriatric emergency management (GEM) nurses. "Our regional geriatric program organized a study in...

'Hybrid' obs unit offsets 60% volume growth.(length of stay)
December 1, 2008... 'Hybrid' obs unit offsets 60% volume growth LOS remains steady despite explosive demand If someone told you that an ED had experienced a 60% increase in volume between 2000 and 2008, you wouldn't be surprised to learn that the average...

ED manager: 'Hybrid' obs beats alternatives.(emergency department)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... ED manager: 'Hybrid' obs beats alternatives ED managers have tried several options to offset growing volume, but Bret Nicks, MD, assistant medical director at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, NC, says the...

Multifaceted approach keeps patients flowing.
December 1, 2008... Multifaceted approach keeps patients flowing Busy ED has door-to-doc time of 40 minutes The ED at Middle Tennessee Medical Center (MTMC) in Murfreesboro certainly qualifies as busy: it sees nearly 63,000 patients a year and averages...

Point-of-care testing makes big difference.
December 1, 2008... Point-of-care testing makes big difference Ongoing initiatives in the ED at Middle Tennessee Medical Center (MTMC) in Murfreesboro have led to improved patient flow. One of the more successful initiatives involved the purchase of units from...

Working with other departments speeds flow.(Middle Tennessee Medical Center)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... Working with other departments speeds flow Monty Gooch, RN, BSN, director of emergency services at Middle Tennessee Medical Center (MTMC) in Murfreesboro, says that one of the keys to his department's smooth patient flow -- door-to-doc time...

NQF endorses voluntary standards for EDs.
December 1, 2008... NQF endorses voluntary standards for EDs The National Quality Forum (NQF), expressing its desired to reduce overcrowding and improve quality of care, has endorsed 10 national voluntary consensus standards for hospital-based ED care. The...

CNE/CME objectives/questions.
December 1, 2008... CNE/CME objectives *Apply new information about various approaches to ED management. *Discuss how developments in the regulatory arena apply to the ED setting. *Implement managerial procedures suggested by your peers in the...