A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that over the past decade trips to emergency departments (ED) rose 20 percent, while the number of available emergency centers fell by 15 percent. Another study from the American Hospital Association indicated that 62 percent of hospitals feel they are at, or over operating capacity. That number jumps to 90 percent when considering Level 1 Trauma Centers and larger (300+ beds) hospitals. These statistics are frighteningly familiar to many hospitals and patients. The pressures are mounting, and a faltering economy has swelled the ranks of uninsured — people who often rely on the local ED for primary care. Countless emergency departments are literally on life support as they try to cope with capacity issues and workforce shortages. Preparing for or responding to emerging threats such as bioterrorism and SARS only increases the strain on the system. In hospitals across the U.S., EDs face a similar story of delays and dissatisfaction…from both patients and clinicians. Not all the news is bad, however. Some hospitals are finding new ways to overcome the challenges and create safer, more efficient environments. Through a combination of Six Sigma and Lean, hospitals are targeting critical aspects of patient flow, patient access, service-cycle time, and admission/discharge processes. A growing number of hospitals are taking steps to identify and remove bottlenecks or inefficiencies in the system. As a result, they are seeing a positive impact on patients, staff, and the bottom line. By using the principles you have learned in the Six Sigma Black Belt course we want to decrease ‘door to doctor time’ in our ER to hopefully reduce the number of people who get tired of waiting and leave without treatment. In fact, last year of the 43,800 patients awaiting treatment, 6.3% left without treatment–essentially because they were dissatisfied with the wait time. The nation’s emergency care network must remain strong — not only to maintain its ability to serve basic community needs, but also to ensure it will have the necessary capacity and processes in place to respond quickly during a crisis. The deadline for having all project deliverables 100% correct is 7 days prior to the end of the course
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