Lean Leads to Significant Improvements at Martin Memorial
Lean Methodology Leads to System-wide Improvements
Martin Memorial Health Systems
Stuart, Florida
Annual ED Visits: 79,000
The Challenge
An increasing number of emergency department patients were causing throughput challenges for Martin Memorial Medical Center, the flagship hospital of Martin Memorial Health Systems. Faced with escalating left without treatment percentages and door-to-provider times, hospital leaders turned to EmCare for emergency department process improvements.
The Solution
The EmCare team utilized a cross-departmental approach that coordinated the efforts of every emergency department stakeholder, including radiology, labs, administration and inpatient directors. The team defined clear goals for key metrics to improve patient throughput. Utilizing Lean methodology, the team designed a new front-end procedure that increased operational effciency by identifying and correcting bottlenecks that were causing delays due to increased emergency department patient volume.
Utilizing Lean methodology, Martin Memorial Medical Center:
- Implemented EmCare’s Rapid Medical Assessment protocol placing patients in the first available bed
- Moved registration to the bedside
- Implemented shift changes to better mirror patient arrival patterns
- Designed and built a more effective triage area
- Moved the discharge time to 11:00 am, freeing up more beds for ED patients
The Results
EmCare’s implementation of Lean methodology proved so successful at Martin Memorial Medical Center that hospital leaders worked with EmCare to implement it system-wide.
Combined Averages for Three Martin Memorial Health Systems Emergency Departments:
- Overall patient satisfaction score: 98% for the first two quarters of 2010
- Average time to see a physician: 33 minutes
- Physician disposition: 131 minutes
- Time to Admit orders: 204 minutes