Bridgeport Hospital, Milford Emergency Department

Milford, Connecticut

Continuing Care is a pivotal throughput process recently adopted through nursing and provider collaboration. This process addresses the challenges of high patient volume with limited space. An existing unutilized space was renovated with new furnishings to provide a calm and comforting space for patients while they continue their care in the ED. In the past, patients were often assigned to a treatment room, even if their condition warranted a less resource-intensive setting.

The Continuing Care process streamlines patient flow, minimizing time spent in a treatment area, optimizing space, and improving patient satisfaction. This innovative approach mirrors one implemented about a decade ago in the emergency department in the system’s larger hospital, but the Milford community’s 16-bed ED has tailored and refined it to suit its unique needs.

It represents a significant departure from the traditional model where patients were assigned a room and bed for the entirety of their visit. Instead, patients now move through various spaces based on their acuity, resulting in a more dynamic and flexible model.

Despite initial resistance to change, this new approach has proven effective in achieving shorter lengths of stay, fewer walkouts and sustained or slightly higher patient satisfaction.