Lee Health HealthPark Medical Center Emergency Department
Fort Myers, Florida
Lee Health HealthPark Medical Center Emergency Department
Two key emergency department initiatives significantly improved quality outcomes and patient flow at Lee Health HealthPark Medical Center. First, the implementation of a dedicated PIVOT nurse to greet and quickly assess all walk-in patients for high-risk conditions—especially stroke—has been paired with a nurse-activated stroke alert and a three-minute “pit stop” workflow. This multidisciplinary, time-sensitive approach has reduced the average door-to-needle time from 56 minutes to 37 minutes, improving outcomes for acute stroke patients.
Second, to address high left-without-being-seen rates, the 22-bed department launched a rapid assessment zone, allowing immediate evaluation and treatment initiation for lower-acuity patients. This model improved front-end flow and access to care, successfully decreasing LWBS from 5.26 to 1.96 percent.
Second, to address high left-without-being-seen rates, the 22-bed department launched a rapid assessment zone, allowing immediate evaluation and treatment initiation for lower-acuity patients. This model improved front-end flow and access to care, successfully decreasing LWBS from 5.26 to 1.96 percent.