Hospitals in pursuit of excellence

Data-Driven Patient Flow

Evergreen Hospital Medical Center, Kirkland, Wash., implemented best practices in patient flow but found its progress was in fits and starts, accountability was not clearly defined and measures of success were unclear. According to Mary Jim Montgomery, vice president of professional services, "We still lacked a leadership commitment and had to try a different approach." With a new operational excellence approach based on facts and data, Evergreen worked to get buy-in and consensus, define leadership expectations and establish aggressive timelines. The initiative focused on three work streams?admissions, physicians and discharge?and recommended changes that were implemented in pilot units. Utilizing IT, such as patient tracking tools, was key. Once data confirmed pilot success, leadership adopted a plan for full hospital deployment. Average length of stay has decreased, and total hours on divert has decreased dramatically, as admissions per day have increased. Contact Montgomery at mjmontgomery@evergreenhealthcare.org.