University of Louisville: Client Success

University of Louisville Hospital [UofL]—an academic teaching and research hospital with 340 beds—is located in the heart of the Louisville metro area. UofL is the only Level I trauma center and adult burn unit in the region, admitting more than 3,000 patients each year—including 1,500 patients who live outside Jefferson County and its surrounding communities. UofL also includes a top-notch cancer center and a uniquely streamlined, nationally accredited stroke center—the latest innovations in a long history of world-class care. The goal of UofL process improvement is not just to save lives and restore health, but to get patients back to enjoying their lives as fully and quickly as possible.

CHALLENGES:

Capacity was typically between 88%-105% due to the average length of stay of 6.1 days and ED/PACU boarding—which meant diverting patients was common.

Issues in the discharge process included delaying discharges in order to avoid new admissions, a lack of communications between departments and a lack of non-emergency transportation services to support the needs of discharged patients.