MetroHealth Medical Center Brecksville Emergency Department

Brecksville, Ohio

MetroHealth Medical Center Brecksville’s ED, a 17-bed unit that sees more than 14,000 patients annually, led a patient-centered initiative focused on empathetic and intentional communication. Recognizing active listening, tone, body language and meaningful interactions significantly influence patient perceptions, nurses emphasized purposeful rounding, real-time service recovery and prompt response to concerns. Leadership supported these efforts through education, coaching, recognition and ongoing review of patient feedback. By fostering stronger nurse-patient connections to ensure patients felt heard, valued and respected throughout their visit, the department achieved significant improvements in patient satisfaction scores.

The team also led a multidisciplinary effort to improve the timeliness of care focused on structured triage processes, early provider involvement and patient-centered communication. Provider-in-triage coverage and early diagnostic testing accelerated clinical evaluation, while staffing adjustments improved throughput during peak volumes. Staff were also coached to provide proactive updates regarding wait-times and care progression, helping patients feel informed and engaged throughout their visit. These efforts resulted in significant improvements in patient satisfaction scores related to timely evaluation and contributed to a reduction in patients leaving without being seen, demonstrating the department’s commitment to efficient, responsive and high-quality emergency care.