Center provides emergency care without unneeded inpatient units

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Emergency Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• A hospital's bed capacity was sufficient for its service area.
• A specific growing population segment required expedited emergency medical care.
• Existing emergency services did not meet the needs of this growing segment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a novel system for immediate ambulatory and emergency care.
• To ensure timely access to advanced emergency and inpatient services.
• To address the specific healthcare needs of an underserved community segment.

Main Methods:

• Development and implementation of the Ambulatory Care Center/Emergency Services System (ACCESS).
• Integration of telecommunications for seamless coordination.
• Collaboration with county rescue services, hospital Emergency Department (ED), and local private practitioners.

Main Results:

• ACCESS provides immediate ambulatory and emergency care within the community.
• Referral pathways to the hospital's ED ensure access to more extensive care.
• The system effectively addresses the need for faster emergency care access.

Conclusions:

• The ACCESS program successfully improved emergency care accessibility.
• Coordination and telecommunication are crucial for effective emergency service delivery.
• This model demonstrates a viable solution for enhancing community emergency medical services.