Tag: emergency-department
Achieving Sepsis Performance Excellence in the Emergency Department
Excellence in the management of severe sepsis and septic shock, and compliance with SEP-1, the national core measure for sepsis, are top priorities for healthcare leaders across the country. This priority is driven by an increasing incidence of sepsis that coincides with disproportionate growth of the elderly population in the U.S., high mortality associated with […]
Read ArticleTaking Provider-in-Triage Efficiencies to the Next Level with Collaborative Focus on Appropriate Timely Discharges and Admissions
Many emergency departments do not focus resources on lobby triage. This is due, in part, to a misconception that the most influential patient entry point is ED traffic from EMS. This perspective results in strong team members and efficiency and quality strategies being allocated outside of lobby triage. In this post, former VEP Healthcare Chief […]
Read ArticleIn the Emergency Department: Recognizing and Responding to Signs of Human Trafficking
It is estimated that more than 20 million people worldwide are victims of exploitation and of sex trafficking or labor trafficking. Human trafficking is not the same as human smuggling. Smuggling is a violation of immigration laws. Trafficking is a violation of human rights. Victims are females and males, children and adults, foreign nationals and […]
Read ArticleHave You Observed Your Clinical Decision Unit Lately?
Better collaboration between the ED and hospitalists. A more satisfying patient experience. The majority of admissions discharged home. Shorter lengths of stay. These are the results being achieved at hospitals nationwide thanks to the advantages provided by our Clinical Decision Unit (CDU). A well-run CDU speeds patient turnaround and improves throughput. Patients move out of the […]
Read ArticleIntubation Tips, Part 2
Hopefully, you have already read about NO DESAT and the importance of pre-oxygenation before intubation in Intubation Tips, Part 1. We want to share some more tips that optimize the safety and success of this high-risk procedure. In a great intubation lecture by Dr. Levitan, he covers a wide variety of airway topics. It will […]
Read ArticleYoung Adult With Blurred Vision, Weakness
Dr. Jordan Kramer, former VEP Healthcare Chief Medical Officer, saw an interesting patient in the ED recently and prepared the following case summary. A 21-year-old college student with no past medical history came to the ED recently with a chief complaint of blurred vision for two days and weakness for one day. The patient complained […]
Read ArticleClosing the Provider-Psych Patient Information Gap
In the emergency department, psychiatric patients can be particularly challenging. Evaluation in the ED is primarily based on history from many different sources–police, family, EMS, many times second hand or on a written report or petition. Often, family does not accompany the patient to the ED. Patients can be unreliable, intoxicated or just plain unable […]
Read ArticleMore Medicine, Less Art – Reducing Variation in Healthcare Costs
After eating at my favorite restaurant last week, I started to think why I enjoyed it so much. I have been eating at the same place regularly for years, but never stopped to think about what makes it special. After thinking about it for a bit, I came up with one word: consistency. I know […]
Read ArticleA Week of Tragedy and Wonders: Boston, Waco, and Times Like This
Think way back to ten days ago. Kim Jong Un’s bizarre anti-US saber rattling: nuke tipped missiles aimed at a Colorado Springs (located squarely in the heart of Texas). On April 15 he promised hellfire to commemorate his grandfather, the patriarch of his dynasty. Then, at 3pm that Monday, came two near-simultaneous explosions at an […]
Read ArticleAmid Change, Physicians are Faced With a Choice
Amid massive change in our healthcare delivery systems and seismic shifts in many regional markets, physicians are increasingly being faced with a simple choice: be acquired or become employed as part of a large healthcare system, or stay independent while offering a compelling service that hospitals and health systems value. The changes occurring in our […]
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