New Orleans, LA – The Emergency Department at Ochsner Baptist Medical Center recently put into action two new practices aimed at the comfort and convenient, quality care of its patients. Patients visiting Baptist’s 24-hour a day, full-service ER will see a physician within 30 minutes of arrival and those patients who are aging will be put at ease in one of Baptist’s newly renovated senior-friendly rooms.
Ochsner Baptist Implements QTrack; 30-Minute Guarantee
Following its success at Ochsner’s main campus, Baptist has implemented QTrack, Ochsner’s novel approach to handling the bottleneck of patients in the ER. Dr. Joseph Guarisco, Chair of Emergency Medicine and System Chief of Emergency Services at Ochsner, tapped into his engineering and industrial medicine background to create a protocol that radically reduces the time it takes for patients to see physicians.
QTrack has substantially boosted patient satisfaction. “People who need ER services have in the past been discouraged by long wait times,” said Guarisco. “QTrack puts the focus on the patients and their time.”
With the implementation of QTrack, Ochsner Baptist is guaranteeing that patients in its ER will see a physician within 30 minutes of arrival. For further information, please visit ochsner.org/ER.
ER Renovations and Staff Training Specifically Geared Toward Aging Patients
When the Emergency Department of Ochsner Baptist is called into action following the arrival of a sick, aging patient, putting that patient at ease and getting him or her comfortable quickly can make a world of difference. That was part of the motivation behind a new program recently rolled out by Ochsner called Senior ED. The program not only has staff specifically trained in geriatric medicine readily available, but there are private rooms in the emergency department that are designed around the needs of older patients.
“A large number of the patients admitted into the hospital come through our emergency room,” says Julian Springler, RN, Emergency Department Unit Director at Ochsner Baptist. “Of those admitted, nearly 50% are seniors so there is a great need as we see our population aging and with that process, comes medical issues. What we have done here at Ochsner is make that emergency room visit and possible admittance process less stressful on both the patient and their family.”
The most noticeable difference is in the emergency department itself. The hospital now has six rooms designated to senior patients regardless of the emergency; whether it’s an acute case, an ICU level or
medical/surgical need. The rooms were all renovated to meet the needs of seniors and include features that you won’t find in the typical emergency room:
Low skid flooring that is also low glare to prevent falls from both sight issues and stability issues
Handrails are in all rooms and adjacent hallways for support with mobility
New color schemes that are more soothing to the aging eye. In this case, the hospital changed from various shades of blue, which all look gray to older eyes, to rich golden colors.
Thicker bed mattress as well as overlays to better protect against skin breakdown, especially bedsores
Each room now as a 32” television and large-faced clocks for easy viewing
Improved nurse call system that will help those with poor dexterity; a large call button now attaches to the patient’s gown
A blanket warmer provides extra level of thermal protection as older patients are prone to lose heat quickly
In addition to the added features, Springler says those medical professionals who work in the Senior ED have all undergone advanced training specifically focused on senior patients and health issues that commonly affect that population.
“Our goal is to take a stressful time and what can be a confusing environment and do everything we can do to reduce anxiety,” Springler says and adds, “If the patient is comfortable we can attend to their immediate medical needs quickly and effectively.”
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Ochsner Health System is southeast Louisiana’s largest non-profit, academic, multi-specialty, healthcare delivery system with eight hospitals and over 38 health centers in Louisiana. Ochsner has been named the Consumer Choice for Healthcare in New Orleans for 15 consecutive years and is the only Louisiana hospital recognized by U.S. News and World Report as a “Best Hospital” across seven specialty categories. Ochsner employs more than 12,500 employees, over 850 physicians in over 90 medical specialties and subspecialties and conducts over 300 clinical research trials annually. Ochsner Health System is proud to be a tobacco-free environment. For more information, please visit ochsner.org and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
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