MetroHealth Medical Center Cleveland Heights Emergency Department

Cleveland Heights, Ohio

The MetroHealth Cleveland Heights ED is a 25-bed unit, caring for more than 30,000 patients annually. In partnership with the patient experience and service excellence teams, ED staff participated in Empathy in Action workshops that emphasized clear explanations, emotional awareness and compassionate communication. Through patient storytelling, reflective learning and practical communication strategies, caregivers enhanced their ability to build trust and reduce anxiety during emergency visits. As a result, the “Nurse Explain” patient satisfaction score improved from 68 percent to 80.5 percent, demonstrating the significant impact of intentional, patient-centered communication on the care experience.

Additionally, a multidisciplinary throughput improvement effort was completed, which focused on reducing the left without being seen rate, while maintaining patient safety and quality care. Through implementation of a rapid medical evaluation model, enhanced triage workflows, early diagnostic testing and strategic staffing aligned to patient volume and acuity, the department streamlined care from arrival through evaluation. Consistent patient communication and daily performance monitoring further supported the effort. These coordinated process improvements reduced LWBS rates from 2.3 percent to 1.4 percent while also improving patient satisfaction, demonstrating the department’s commitment to timely, efficient and patient-centered emergency care.