Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center Emergency Department

The Woodlands, Texas

Every patient enters the emergency department with more than a medical condition—they arrive with fear, uncertainty and hope. The Woodlands Medical Center ED’s Flower Journey was created to ensure every patient feels seen, heard and cared for from arrival through discharge. The initiative transformed everyday interactions through intentional communication, compassionate presence, reassurance, family engagement and consistent updates. By focusing on the emotional experience alongside clinical excellence, the team strengthened patient trust, improved perceptions of staff caring behaviors and reinforced our commitment to personalized care that treats the whole person, not just the diagnosis.

Additionally, the team focused on opportunities to improve door-to-antibiotic times to improve outcomes for patients who arrive with open fractures. The department challenged traditional practices that delayed treatment until radiographic confirmation. Guided by the trauma medical director and trauma program leadership, emergency physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, pharmacists and trauma teams collaborated to promote earlier recognition of suspected open fractures and timely antibiotic ordering based on clinical assessment. Education, standardized workflows and nursing advocacy reduced door-to-antibiotic times by an average of 18 minutes while consistently performing below the national 60-minute benchmark, improving patient outcomes.