our experience as pleasant
as possible. The whole staff
at your facility was kind and
caring, causing us to feel
comfortable and cared for.
We just wanted to take
the time to let you know that
you do a great job of hiring
and maintaining wonderful
staff who treat patients well.
It is, sadly, fairly rare in the
world, but you all achieve it.
Thank you!
Sincerely,
Andrea Revels and Karma
Barry (daughter)
This letter is printed with permission and has been edited for style
and space.
Physicians and
nurses share the
same work area
and join in making
follow-up courtesy
calls to patients.
Communication and
collaboration result
in better overall
patient care.
Click the box above to watch Jeff Butterfield, MD, medical director,
emergency services (right), talk about their services and success.
The
next time you visit the Methodist Charlton
Medical Center emergency department (ED), you’ll see
big changes in the way things operate. Patient satisfaction
is up, and wait times are down. And we now have the
space to accommodate almost every patient who comes
through our doors.
That’s pretty astounding for the second-busiest ED in
the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex. Methodist Charlton
averages more than 75,000 emergency visits each year.
An all-star team
The most significant reason for the improved services is
a new team of ED physicians, says Fran Laukaitis, RN,
MHA, chief nursing officer.
“The physicians are energetic, progressive, adaptable,
and dedicated to patient satisfaction,” she says, adding
that physicians join nurses in making follow-up courtesy
calls to patients. Laukaitis quickly points out, however,
that it’s the combined knowledge of both doctors and
nurses bringing changes to the flow of the department.
“We recruited the best and the brightest nurses from
across the country, doubling the number of nurses over
the past year,” she says. “This diverse group brings fresh
ideas on the best processes for moving patients through
the care cycle. The entire department is on board.”
Another change is having physicians and nurses share
the same work area. Face-to-face communication and
collaboration result in better overall patient care and
allow decisions to be made more quickly with input from
the care group.
During monthly department meetings, the ED staff
evaluates throughput statistics from the previous month
and discusses opportunities for improvement.
Prompt care
A new triage plan has cut in half wait times for patients
and the number of patients who leave without being seen.
When patients arrive in our ED, a triage nurse will
meet with them to assess their medical needs. Patients
with minor illnesses and medical needs, such as X-rays,
prescription refills, or lab tests, will wait in a separate
waiting room instead of returning to the main waiting
area. These patients will see a certified physician assistant
and have their needs addressed more quickly than they
would in the main ED.
Meanwhile, emergency physicians in the main
ED can devote care to those patients with more
serious conditions.
Happier patients found here
The changes in Methodist Charlton’s ED are working.
Patient satisfaction scores have jumped more than
40 percentage points in the past year!
“Patient satisfaction is very important to us,”
says Greta Hill, ED manager. “Our goal is to make
every patient feel like he or she is the only one in the
emergency department.”
Meet the
new
Methodist Charlton
emergency department
