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Johnston Medical Center ED Team Helps Cut Patient Wait Times by 20 Minutes

Posted July 24, 2012

Thanks to the efforts of a cohesive emergency department team, strong medical leadership, and great clinical and administrative teamwork, patient wait times are being reduced at Johnston Medical Center (JMC) in Smithfield, North Carolina. The improvements were recently recognized in an article in the Smithfield Herald which highlighted a reduction of patient wait times from 52 minutes to 32 minutes as well as fewer patients leaving the ER without being seen.

“The focus and dedication of our providers with leadership from Dr. Gupta has resulted in superior performance and noticeable results,” said Dr. David Schillinger, Hospital Physician Partners (HPP) President and Chief Medical Officer. Manny Gupta, DO, MBA, is Chairman and Medical Director of Emergency Services for JMC-Smithfield and a member of the HPP team.

HPP has managed the emergency department at JMC-Smithfield since 2009 and Dr. Gupta has led the department throughout the recent process. “A cultural shift with focus on customer service along with commitment and hard work from staff and providers alike makes this initiative a success,” noted Dr. Gupta. “The key is to obtain buy-in from all stake holders for any new process to succeed. Leadership at all levels must be engaged in making sure we sustain all the progress we have made.”

Amy Hamby, RN, BSN, CNOR, JMC-Smithfield Administrative Director, Surgical/Critical Care, acknowledges there is still much work to be done, but the results to date and teamwork have been exemplary. “It has taken input and communication from the entire staff. They have been diligent in their commitment to the changes and process and the end result is better care and a better overall patient experience,” said Hamby.

Hospital Physician Partners provides Emergency Medicine management and Hospitalist Medicine management services nationwide serving hospitals in more than 20 states and treating over 1.5 million patients per year. They also provide Emergency Medicine jobs and Hospitalist jobs in diverse practice settings across the United States.

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