Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center Emergency Department
Marietta, Georgia
Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center Emergency Department
Wellstar Kennestone’s 166-bed emergency department is the second largest by footprint in the United States. Despite its size, the team prides itself on commitment to safe patient-centered care.
Following the pandemic, EMS wall times rose sharply: 28.2 percent of its 40,000 annual EMS arrivals experienced offload delays exceeding 30 minutes. In response, the staff established a Transitional Care Area equipped with dedicated stretchers and an offload pivot nurse. This intervention enabled rapid handovers, early assessments and improved patient flow. Standardizing this process enhanced care initiation and improved throughput. Offload delays greater than 30 minutes decreased by 98.6 percent, dramatically boosting EMS turnaround and ED efficiency.
Kennestone also aligned with the best practice of administering antibiotics to long bone open fractures. Baseline data revealed it was taking an average of 157 minutes to receive the antibiotic. The team launched an “Early Identification and Treatment Education Initiative” targeting ED physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses and clinical pharmacists. After implementation, every case that exceeds 60 minutes is reviewed for opportunities. In 2024, the team met its target in 10 of 12 months, significantly reducing the door-to-antibiotic time and improving patient
outcomes.
outcomes.