Vanderbilt University Medical Center Emergency Department, Operational Planning
Defining best practices for ED operations and future-state technologies
- Client
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Location
- Tennessee, United States
- Size
- N/A
- Status
- In Progress
With a mission of “personalizing the patient experience through our caring spirit and distinctive capabilities,” Vanderbilt University Medical Center engaged Blue Cottage of CannonDesign to complete an Emergency Department Operational Study. To better serve the expanding community of Nashville, and an even larger catchment area, the academic emergency department desired to decrease their significant boarding problem and improve throughput and efficiency through operational changes. The facility also wished to understand what physical changes could support the operational redesign and increase capacity of the ED. It has both physical and operational challenges to overcome.
Project Vision
To be a world-known academic medical center Emergency Department that is patient-centered; optimizes flow, efficiency, and throughput; provides high-quality, safety, and excellent experience; and gives the greatest access to the Nashville community and while delivering top-tier academic education.
Key Stats
84
current bed state
70K+
ED visits per year
7.4%
Nashville population growth in the next decade
54,000
square feet of existing space
Key barriers and challenges
With a significant majority of space available occupied by boarding patients and a layout divided by structural hallways and an inability to significantly expand, the Blue Cottage and CannonDesign team was challenged with finding the right processes, layout and KPUs to meet the needs within the control of the ED. The Strategy team established priorities for facility improvements.
Strategies for success
The foundation of the Emergency Department operational planning process was a robust, data-driven approach to analytics. We deployed capacity and throughput modeling, along with simulation modeling, to validate capacity requirements and understand the impact of operational improvements.
Striving toward a better future, Blue Cottage focused the Vanderbilt team on those operational changes that they could influence, that had the greatest impact and were implementable, therefore creating real results that can help create capacity and flow within the Emergency Department. Using a myriad of Lean tools and techniques, we were able to frame a rejuvenated throughput process designed to support healthcare personnel in delivering value-added patient focused care efficiently and effectively.
