Catholic Health of Long Island – St. Joseph Hospital Emergency Department
Bethpage, New York
Catholic Health of Long Island – St. Joseph Hospital Emergency Department
The staff at St. Joseph Hospital’s emergency department reviewed its patient
satisfaction scores and took to heart feedback through its Voice of the Patient
process, identifying a need to streamline triage protocols and procedures. The team rolled out a multifactorial approach by increasing the number of triage-competent nurses and rotating triage nurse assignments to ensure efficient prioritization of patient conditions and eliminate staff burnout. Because family inclusion is a central value for patients, the staff restructured the visitor pass process to facilitate family presence at the bedside for the initial physician assessment. This new approach eliminated gaps in information sharing, promoted participation of loved ones in the care process and assisted in patient overall comfort and safety. This project increased staff engagement, decreased wait times and improved team dynamics within a 32-bed department that had more than 35,800 visits in 2024.
satisfaction scores and took to heart feedback through its Voice of the Patient
process, identifying a need to streamline triage protocols and procedures. The team rolled out a multifactorial approach by increasing the number of triage-competent nurses and rotating triage nurse assignments to ensure efficient prioritization of patient conditions and eliminate staff burnout. Because family inclusion is a central value for patients, the staff restructured the visitor pass process to facilitate family presence at the bedside for the initial physician assessment. This new approach eliminated gaps in information sharing, promoted participation of loved ones in the care process and assisted in patient overall comfort and safety. This project increased staff engagement, decreased wait times and improved team dynamics within a 32-bed department that had more than 35,800 visits in 2024.