Emergency Center
Emergency Care without the wait. How we did it.
In redesigning our Emergency Department, Hackley Hospital used a process called "idealized redesign concept" which is also sometimes referred to as "planning backwards." The process involved developing a new emergency department from the ground up and throwing out all preconceptions about the way things should be done.
Elements of the process included:
- Defining a goal. Hospital officials looked at patient complaints to find this goal: reduce the time patients have to wait to see a doctor. "Will it save time?" was always the question asked when a change in procedure was contemplated.
- Involving many employees. Employees were encouraged to question why things were done the way they were and their suggestions were always given careful consideration.
- Talking to other departments in the hospital that interact with the emergency department. We learned that laboratory, for example, had a different impression of which tests should be run in a big hurry than those the emergency department actually needed quickly.
- Educating employees. As our goal and redesign came into focus, we re-educated employees so that they could seamlessly provide services within the new process, using existing technology.
If you have a medical emergency, call 9-1-1.
To contact Hackley
Emergency Department,
call 231-728-4936.
