BGH Emergency Department Sees Improvements with ED Task Force
The Emergency Department (ED) at Belleville General Hospital (BGH) has been hard at work, making big changes in an attempt to improve patient care and reduce wait times. Thanks to an improvement task force of dedicated physicians, nurses, and staff, the ED has rolled out new strategies aimed at tackling some of its biggest challenges. At the heart of these changes is the implementation of the Go Zone, a new approach to delivering care efficiently, even during times of high demand.
How the Go Zone Works
In an effort to improve patient flow, the BGH Emergency Department eliminated the previous green and yellow zones. These were replaced with two key sections: an ambulatory care section (Go Zone) and a non-ambulatory care section.
In the Go Zone, patients who are mobile and have less acute illnesses are quickly assessed by a physician or physician assistant in a room. After, they are moved to a treatment chair for ongoing care. This process frees up valuable beds for non-ambulatory patients who require more intensive care.
By streamlining care this way, the Go Zone allows for more efficient and effective treatment for all patients, reducing bottlenecks and improving overall flow through the ED.
Key Improvements
Launched in the fall, the Go Zone model saw initial improvements, including fewer patients leaving without being seen, faster times from triage to in-room, quicker physician initial assessment, and reduced length of stay for non-admitted patients. These improvements were also supported by increased physician staffing through the fall.
In addition to the Go Zone model, the BGH ED team also created a dedicated admission and consult zone, and improved aspects of patient experience based on feedback including adding chairs to the waiting room and improving communication with registration and volunteer teams. They worked to streamline admission processes, stabilize staffing, grow education and training opportunities, and enhance engagement and cross-collaboration with the ED team and beyond.
Celebrating Progress
“One of the most challenging areas to work in healthcare is the Emergency Department,” said Nicole Duchrow, Director of Critical Care, Emergency, DVSARP, Community and Rural Services. “The investment of focus and time to improve the work and the quality of care we provide is paying off. People who work in the Emergency Department want to do great work. Patients who access the ED want and expect good care. We are hitting both of these targets. It’s a win-win.”
The success of the task force has also inspired the physicians leading the change. Dr. Michele Miron, physician champion for the initiative, said “The health system matters. It impacts both the health of the patient and the health of the clinical teams. The belief that the health system, in both a small and large capacity, can be influenced in a positive manner is incredibly powerful. I’m proud of the experimental approach taken by my physician colleagues, my nursing colleagues, and my administrative leadership colleagues towards this work.”
“I am absolutely loving the new GO Zone!” said Emergency nurse Julie McDonald. “The changes have been nothing but positive. Not only have we transformed our ability to provide a more efficient way of delivering care, but I have noticed that it has also improved the overall satisfaction among patients.”
A Bright Future
The Go Zone and the improvement task force have proven that with teamwork, focus, and innovative thinking, even the most challenging areas of healthcare can see meaningful progress.
“I’ve been involved in healthcare improvement for many years, and I’ve rarely seen such impressive work to enhance the patient and staff experience,” said Matthew Campbell, Quinte Health Vice President and Chief Transformation Officer. “Congratulations to the entire team for their hard work and dedication to making healthcare better for everyone.”
What’s next? The BGH ED task force continues in 2025 with a renewed focus. This year’s focus includes Lumeo optimization, enabling team members to be working to their full scope in the ED, and monitoring and developing action plans around key metrics like length of stay for non-admitted patients and ambulance offload time.
#Connection
#StrongerTogether
