Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital – Emergency Medicine and Trauma Center

Indianapolis, Indiana

Although admitted patient boarding is a national challenge, the team at IU Methodist EMTC sought to improve patient flow and patient experience by collaborating with a multidisciplinary team to redesign and restructure departmental workflows. Using the percentage of admitted patients within the department as a key driver, the team realigned provider and nursing assignments to better support patients awaiting inpatient placement while maintaining timely emergency care delivery. These workflow changes led to improved patient satisfaction, reduced wait times and lower rates of patients leaving without being seen, while ensuring appropriate and continued care for admitted patients boarding in the 91-bed ED.

The ED team also developed a standardized approach to improve care for patients experiencing psychiatric emergencies. Through collaboration with departmental, hospital and system leadership, the team implemented enhanced processes and accountability measures to support both patient safety and quality of care. This included the creation of new roles, such as a behavioral health auditor, to monitor compliance with documentation standards and care protocols. These efforts significantly improved care and charting compliance, ensuring that patients experiencing behavioral health crises received consistent, compassionate and appropriate care and that their needs were not overshadowed by other emergency conditions being treated within the department.