Jefferson Reduces ER Overcrowding by 28 Percent
Jefferson’s strides in reducing emergency department (ED) overcrowding were cited in a Dec. 24 Philadelphia Inquirer
article. In 2009, we were able to reduce diversions - when a hospital
is not accepting ambulance traffic because the emergency room is so
full - by 28 percent. The improvements are the result of our
participation in the Urgent Matters network.
The Urgent Matters team at Jefferson strives to find, develop and
deliver strategies that improve ED overcrowding and patient flow.
Launched approximately 12 months ago, Urgent Matters is a Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation-funded learning network of just six hospitals
across the country working collaboratively to implement rigorous
performance measures, assess existing operations and develop strategies
to improve ED throughput and output.
The results of the groundbreaking work being undertaken by our
Urgent Matters team will help hospitals across the country tackle the
difficult issue of ED overcrowding, as well as significantly advance
the field of quality improvement performance measurement for emergency
departments.
Read "Phila. ERs seek solutions to crowding" to learn more about Jefferson's strategies to reduce ER overcrowding.
Published: 1/6/2010