The Miriam Hospital Emergency Department, part of Brown University Health, successfully implemented two important initiatives aimed at improving access to care and enhancing workforce

The Miriam Hospital Emergency Department

safety. The ED accelerated improvements through a culture of governance, decision-making and empowered nurse autonomy.  Through DMS huddles, Unit Practice Council, Patient Experience Council and interprofessional retreats, front-line clinicians shape practice, flow, safety and patient experience. This culture resulted in improvements across key metrics, including a 40 percent reduction in patients who left the 64-bed department without being seen.

The team’s second initiative focused on improving workforce safety for front-line staff. The ED is deeply committed to staff safety and actively addresses patient and visitor violence with the understanding that a secure workforce is essential to delivering high-quality care. To promote a safe environment for patients and staff, the ED implemented several key safety enhancements, including a weapons detection system and a reinforced triage area with ballistic glass and bullet-resistant materials. Additionally personal wearable panic badges were provided to all staff to enhance security responsiveness and support the health care team to feel safe, valued and empowered.