Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center Emergency Department
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center Emergency Department
To address rising patient volumes and improve care delivery, the Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center Emergency Department team launched two strategic
initiatives. First, the Patient Flow Committee, led by the ED manager, redesigned intake operations following a nearby hospital closure. A pilot program stationed an MD/PA and RN team in the intake zone from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., enabling rapid provider-patient consultation and early care initiation. This approach reduced the number of patients leaving without being seen or before treatment completion. The flow lead nurse and intake nurse collaborate to streamline patient placement, imaging and task delegation. Continuous feedback and education supported ongoing process refinement, resulting in improved throughput and safer care.
The team also strengthened patient safety by implementing the Final Check and Beaker System to ensure accurate patient and specimen identification. Staff verify patient details and match MRN digits aloud, while Beaker prints labels bedside after wristband scanning. For high-risk medications and blood transfusions, dual-nurse verification and EPIC sign-off were introduced.
Barcode scanning of medications and wristbands increased compliance from under 60 percent to over 87 percent. Additionally, a moderate sedation audit tool standardized safety checks for bedside procedures, further enhancing care quality and reducing risk.
initiatives. First, the Patient Flow Committee, led by the ED manager, redesigned intake operations following a nearby hospital closure. A pilot program stationed an MD/PA and RN team in the intake zone from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., enabling rapid provider-patient consultation and early care initiation. This approach reduced the number of patients leaving without being seen or before treatment completion. The flow lead nurse and intake nurse collaborate to streamline patient placement, imaging and task delegation. Continuous feedback and education supported ongoing process refinement, resulting in improved throughput and safer care.
The team also strengthened patient safety by implementing the Final Check and Beaker System to ensure accurate patient and specimen identification. Staff verify patient details and match MRN digits aloud, while Beaker prints labels bedside after wristband scanning. For high-risk medications and blood transfusions, dual-nurse verification and EPIC sign-off were introduced.
Barcode scanning of medications and wristbands increased compliance from under 60 percent to over 87 percent. Additionally, a moderate sedation audit tool standardized safety checks for bedside procedures, further enhancing care quality and reducing risk.