University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital Emergency Department

Chicago, Illinois

The emergency department at Comer Children’s Hospital has made substantial progress in quality improvement and cultivating a collaborative culture by integrating the efforts of the ED Quality Committee, frontline staff, and a quality improvement program. This synergy has enhanced patient outcomes, boosted staff morale, and improved operational efficiency.

Central to these achievements is the Unit Based Council, which works with departmental and broader organizational committees. A key improvement has been the adoption of a unified REDCap dashboard and database for chart reviews and audits, simplifying data management and enhancing the ability to identify trends and gaps in care. The REDCap system includes various quality indicators with specific audit tools, managed primarily by the staff quality nurse, facilitating peer-led feedback.

Moreover, the department has formalized a hot and cold debriefing process, now structured and peer-led, focusing on patient care discussions, educational needs, and planning improvement actions. Additionally, formal workgroups tackle specific issues systematically. This successful quality improvement model is now being implemented hospital-wide, influencing organizational quality initiatives and setting benchmarks in areas like sepsis and restraint management. The department’s quality nurse now contributes as a content expert in the hospital’s Quality and Sepsis Committees.