Less waiting, better care At WRMC Emergency Department

9/1/2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Tammy G. Love

Director of Marketing & Medical Staff Development

Phone: (336) 651-8116

Less waiting, better care At WRMC Emergency Department

The second in a series

By JERRY LANKFORD

Record Editor

There was a time when Lewis Hill Jenkins dreaded for someone to bring up the subject of Wilkes Regional Medical Center’s emergency room. "It was embarrassing for me," said Jenkins, a longtime member of the WRMC board. "People would tell me that could go to Winston or Statesville and get home quicker than going here." A task force headed by Jenkins has helped bring about change in the hospital's Emergency Department.

Jenkins said he now hears positive comments about the department. "A fellow came up to me the other day and said he had to take his wife to the emergency room," Jenkins said, adding that the man was pleased with the short wait and courteous service. "He said someone checked on them every 15 minutes while they were there." WRMC CEO Ted Chapin said the Emergency Department’s Minor Care Center has been one catalyst in reducing patients' wait time.

The Minor Care Center treats patients with non-emergency ailments like colds, earaches and sore throats. The four-room center, which operates from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m. every day, is mostly staffed by physician assistants. "We’re able to get patients out of there on the average of 75 minutes," Chapin said."“That’s comparable to a visit to a doctor’s office. People really seem to like it."

WRMC has improved the Emergency Department’s focus on customer service, Chapin said. This has been done through intense training for all staff and physicians as well as improving the availability of doctors and efficiency of treatment. The department’s director, David Culler, is also "customer service minded and enthusiastic," Chapin said.

Emergency Department patients are allowed visitation "as long as it doesn’t jeopardize the safety or privacy of the patient or other patients in the department " Chapin said, adding that there has been a steady increase in "excellent" on customer satisfaction data.

"WRMC has also remodeled patient rooms in the Emergency Department to allow for more privacy and comfort," Chapin said. Doors have replaced curtains and TV’s have been added. Nursing station remodeling and an overall department facelift is scheduled for later in the year.

Another way efficiency has been improved is through an Emergency Department Information System. "That tracks patients' progress through the ED, identifying bottlenecks or delays in treatment allowing us to improve or change processes very quickly," Chapin said. He added that Jenkins and his task force play a significant role in getting the computer system. "The information system allows for the department to meet all the requirements of the regulatory agents," Chapin said. "It allows for thorough, efficient documentation of treatment and care received."

The system has also helped bring an overall reduction in patient wait time of more than an hour, Chapin said. "The average length of stay for patients in all parts of the emergency department is one hour and 22 minutes."

WRMC has critical care transport to leading medical centers in the Triad. "Through our affiliation with Forsyth Medical Center (FMC), we have a mobile intensive care unit on standby for us," Chapin said. "Our partnership with FMC allows us to have virtually seamless care between WRMC and FMC should patients need a higher level of acute care only available at a larger medical center."

A recently built helipad (funded by the Health Foundation and N.C. Baptist Hospital) allows airlifts to Winston-Salem and Charlotte medical centers. "It has really been a blessing," Chapin said.

WRMC Auxiliary has also purchased a $40,000 AutoPulse, which replaces manual chest compressions for heart attack patients. "We were in the first hospital in the state to get one of these," Chapin said.

Jenkins says he's proud of the progress tha's been made to WRMC's Emergency Department." I feel like we have an excellent department," Jenkins said. "I don't hear any complaints any more. Now, it's just a pleasure to talk about it."

"Our Emergency Department is the gateway to our hospital," Chapin said. "This is the first part of the hospital a lot of people see. It's important to make a good first impression."