HOSPITAL NEWS
The Quick Admit process
is another example of
our commitment to
patient-centered care.
Time is on your side.
Halifax Regional Hospital’s Quick Admit unit makes admission from
the emergency department or from a physician’s ofce quicker and easier for patients and staf.
The Quick Admit staf members, from left, are Sarah Dejarnette, unit secretary; Ginger Shotwell,
RN; and Jennifer Chappell, RN.
lifeand health
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PATIENTS
admitted to
Halifax Regional Hospital from the
emergency department (ED) are get-
ting there quicker these days, thanks
to the newly implemented Quick
Admit process.
Afer a two-month trial period
last winter, the program proved so
successful that it is now permanently
in place Monday through Friday
during daytime hours. For patients,
this means a shorter stay in the
emergency department and a faster
pathway to treatment.
A faster path to treatment
“Once it has been determined that
a patient in the emergency depart-
ment needs to be admitted, the
Quick Admit process allows us to
send that patient to a room on East 2
where nurses can immediately begin
treatment,” says Sherri Bee, clinical
director, cardiovas-
cular services/qual-
ity, and the driving
force behind the new
system. “Tis means
no waiting around the
emergency room until
a room on East 3, 4 or 5 is available.
Care can begin immediately, and
the room in the ED can be used for
another emergency.”
Upon arrival on East 2, the pa-
tient’s treatment begins. Nurses com-
plete the admission assessment, do
the medication reconciliation, and
begin completing physician’s orders
for blood work, x-rays, diagnostic
EKGs, medication administration
and other elements of care. In ad-
dition to receiving quick treatment,
the patient has the beneft of being
in a room with a television, a phone
and space for family. When the
initial admission work is completed,
the patient is moved to his or her
permanent room.
A win-win situation
“Tis system works better for
patients and nurses,” says Nurse
Manager Karlene Bloom. “It saves
time, improves patient satisfaction
and unbottles the emergency depart-
ment. It shaves about one to 1½
hours of the admission process.”
Te new process has been well
accepted by the medical staf.
“It’s excellent,” says James Witko,
MD, president of the medical staf.
“Terapies are started earlier, pa-
tients get their medications sooner
and it gets them out of the ED.
Patients have been impressed at how
quickly things get done this way.”
Patients are also singing its praises.
“Tis is much better,” says Halifax
resident Henrietta Elliott. “It’s faster.
Tis way you get so much done that
when you get to your room you’re
ready for your treatments with no
interruptions. I really like it.”
Always looking for improvement
opportunities, Bee and her team,
including Dr. Witko,
Terrance Truitt,
MD; and William
Bell, MD; along with
Chris Lumsden, chief
executive ofcer, and
Patricia Tomas,
chief nursing ofcer, worked with
an interdisciplinary team to ensure
the smooth transition to the new
process.
According to Tomas, the pro-
gram has worked so well that it is
now being used for admissions com-
ing directly from physician ofces.
Q U I C K A D M I T
Getting the care
you need—faster