title: Care initiation area yields dramatic results.
abstract: The ED at Gaston Memorial Hospital in Gastonia, NC, has achieved dramatic results in key department metrics with a Care Initiation Area (CIA) and a physician in triage. Here's how the ED arrived at this winning solution: Leadership was trained in and implemented the Kaizen method, which eliminates redundant or inefficient process steps. Simulation software helped determine additional space needed by analyzing arrival patterns and other key data. After only two days of meetings, new ideas were implemented and tested.
mesh_terms: D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D009657:North Carolina; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D012984:Software; D014218:Triage / Q000458:organization & administration*