Atlantic Health Chilton Medical Center Emergency Department
Pompton Plains, New Jersey
Atlantic Health Chilton Medical Center Emergency Department
Chilton Medical Center’s emergency department identified a care gap for
walk-in stroke patients. While EMS-transported stroke patients benefited from
an optimized workflow, featuring rapid door-to-CT times and timely interventions that exceed national benchmarks, walk-in patients lacked the same expedited care. Driven by a passionate nursing team, the department implemented a new process to ensure the same standard of care and response.
One of the most impactful changes was eliminating the traditional room placement for walk-in stroke patients. Instead, patients now are brought directly via wheelchair for immediate assessment and expedited to CT. During imaging, the tele neurologist is activated via robot to be ready for post-scan evaluation. This streamlined process has reduced treatment times by an average of 15 minutes.
Additionally, patients requiring interventional medications are now treated in the CT holding area, which has been transformed into a fully equipped stroke room. This setup ensures all necessary supplies and medications are readily available.
A second initiative focused on reducing door-to-doctor and door-to-discharge times. Through a LEAN project, the team is optimizing patient flow and minimizing delays throughout the ED journey, reinforcing a commitment to timely, high-quality care for every patient.
walk-in stroke patients. While EMS-transported stroke patients benefited from
an optimized workflow, featuring rapid door-to-CT times and timely interventions that exceed national benchmarks, walk-in patients lacked the same expedited care. Driven by a passionate nursing team, the department implemented a new process to ensure the same standard of care and response.
One of the most impactful changes was eliminating the traditional room placement for walk-in stroke patients. Instead, patients now are brought directly via wheelchair for immediate assessment and expedited to CT. During imaging, the tele neurologist is activated via robot to be ready for post-scan evaluation. This streamlined process has reduced treatment times by an average of 15 minutes.
Additionally, patients requiring interventional medications are now treated in the CT holding area, which has been transformed into a fully equipped stroke room. This setup ensures all necessary supplies and medications are readily available.
A second initiative focused on reducing door-to-doctor and door-to-discharge times. Through a LEAN project, the team is optimizing patient flow and minimizing delays throughout the ED journey, reinforcing a commitment to timely, high-quality care for every patient.