Emergency Severity Index of AHRQ Shortens Waiting Time at Hillcrest’s Emergency Department

Hillcrest Hospital is a full-service hospital that serves the medical needs of Mayfield Heights and the surrounding communities including Lake and Geauga counties 2. To care for the growing needs of the community, the new Emergency Department (ED) has increased from 10,000 square feet to 40,000 square feet. It is equipped to accommodate 68,000 adult and pediatric ED visits in 2010, compared with the former ED which was designed for 25,000 visits 3. A unique feature of the Emergency Department involves keeping patients who are non-critical moving through the department. Those patients are sent toan intake room where they are assessed by a nurse and seen by a doctor. This process, known as a split-flow, separates critical and non-critical patients, allowing those who are less urgent to be seen more quickly and freeing up space for those who have a severe injury or illness 2.  The split-flow process removes waiting time and the need for patients to be examined more than once. . All patients are seen more quickly,, with the relevant providers attending to each patient. This model improves patient satisfaction and decreases wait times considerably.3