Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital Emergency Department

Houston, Texas

The ED developed and committed to a robust forensic nurse program in the department. The team’s intent was to stop patients from being transferred to other hospitals after a traumatic event and allow them to get care and resources they need in the ED. The staff supported education for more RNs to become SANE certified. The SANE team advocated for a forensic nurse office with a protected SANE exam room. The ED underwent construction to create a dedicated office and designated room that is not used for any other type of patient. This has resulted in zero SANE patients being transferred out since 2022.

Additionally, the team totally reimagined the flow of the ED patient, reducing length-of-stay metrics for the ED patient and, therefore, LTBC and elope rates to less than 1 percent. Door-to-discharge time has decreased to an average of 220 minutes, a reduction of almost 60 minutes. This work has created a cascade of improvements from patient experience to the front line voice being an integral part of the creation of this innovative workflow.