Fort Kent ~ The signage that was installed outside the new Emergency Room (ER) at Northern Maine Medical Center (NMMC) at the end of 2015, is only a small portion of the changes that patients can expect to see when they visit the NMMC ER. The positive impact of the physical changes on the patient experience were supported by a the three phase, $2 million renovation project.
The existing ER space, originally built in 1970, was upgraded to meet the changing needs of emergency care and today’s regulatory requirements. In addition to the primary benefit of enhancing the patient experience, the positive impact had the intended ripple effect on visitors, staff and Emergency Service providers. One of the main changes in the newly renovated department included the relocation of the ambulance entrance which is now separate from the public entrance, thereby offering more privacy for patients entering the ER. The project also added: a trauma room capable of accommodating large equipment necessary for managing this type of patient, installation of an advanced cardiac monitoring system, an enclosed decontamination area for patients exposed to hazardous materials, a pediatric room geared to the needs of a child, a safe mental health room, a nurses’ station for confidentiality of patient information and a gynecology room with private bath. Also, the reception and registration area was reconfigured to be more welcoming and to ensure improved privacy and confidentiality. Overall, the benefits of the renovation project have increased efficiency, quietness, confidentiality, safety and patient comfort.
Although the physical plant renovations were completed at the end of June of 2015, efforts did not stop there. The work has continued in terms of the improvements for clinical care and the patient experience. The benefits are now evident in the quality measures that are being monitored. As an example, the bright and spacious reception and registration area is frequently noted to be vacant. This is a result of the changes made by the clinical staff to improve and expedite the flow of patients into the ER. Since the new ER became operational, the implementation of process changes has reduced the time it takes to get a patient from the door to a bed by 62%. Arthur Carroll, a recent patient in the ER said, “When I arrived at your emergency room, your staff quickly and professionally addressed my immediate needs. Everyone was concerned about my comfort from the time I came in to the time I left.” With the expansion of the patient discharge program, all patients now receive a telephone call from a Registered Nurse after they have left the ER to follow up on their condition. It is an opportunity for patients to ask questions about their discharge plan and medications. This action has translated into fewer patients returning to the ER.
For a second consecutive year, NMMC earned the National Women’s Choice Award as one of America’s Best Hospitals for Emergency Care. Hospitals earning the Emergency Care Award consistently rank in the top twenty-five percent of the 3,800 hospitals reporting on their emergency department’s performance measures to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Alain Bois, Chief Operating Officer at NMMC said, “These quality measures could not be reached without the hard work and dedication of our staff, both medical and nursing, and other allied professionals.” The eight measures CMS publicly reports relate primarily to the amount of time taken in the ER such as time for diagnosis, medication, and admission to the hospital, and are weighted according to the priorities of women surveyed.
Of the eight measures reported by emergency departments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), women rate “door to diagnostic time” or in other words, “door to doctor,” as the most important criteria when selecting an emergency room. According to NMMC Director of Nursing, James Reese, by making adjustments to patient flow processes, the staff has been successful in reducing the time it takes for patients to be seen by a doctor in the Emergency Room by 50%.
Even though healthcare has seen significant changes in the use of inpatient healthcare, a need for emergency healthcare services such as is offered by NMMC’s ER, will always be needed. With this in mind, it was a conscious decision made last year by NMMC’s Board of Trustees and administration to invest in the renovation and expansion of the Emergency Room to be prepared for the future. To learn more about the Women’s Choice Award, go to www.womenschoiceaward.com.To learn more about NMMC’s many services, to make a donation or to learn about volunteer opportunities, visit www.nmmc.org and Like us on Facebook!