Kirk Jensen, MD, MBA, Vice President of Clinical Operations, Best Practices

      This session defines key challenges, opportunities, and constraints within a hospital delivery system that impact Emergency Department patient flow and capacity. High leverage solutions for dramatically improving patient flow will be discussed in detail. Key drivers affecting Emergency Department patient flow as well as the logic and impact of hospital-wide solutions to Emergency Department patient flow will be presented. Lessons from multiple Institute for Healthcare Improvement Collaboratives, on improving patient flow and operations within the Emergency Department will be shared.
      After this presentation you will be able to:

• Describe key change ideas for improving patient flow and operations within the Emergency Department.
• Identify common bottlenecks and barriers to patient flow.
• Discuss demand and capacity management and forecasting, as well as variability and queuing theory and its impact on patient flow.