Better waiting area, private triage spaces on way to University of Michigan Hospital Emergency Department
The Emergency Medicine Department at the University of Michigan Health System is debuting a revamped security, triage and waiting area April 11. Demand for emergency services is way up, hospital officials said.
Courtesy of University of Michigan Health System
A private, expanded triage area and a larger, more comfortable waiting room is on the way to the Emergency Medicine Department at the University of Michigan Health System in April.
Currently, neither the check-in nor the nearby three-slot triage area offers much privacy from the existing waiting area. Instead of explaining what ails them within earshot of a waiting room, patients will meet with a nurse in one of six private triage rooms when renovations debut next month.
Recognizing that the ER experience was “less than desirable” for patients seeking urgent care, $17.7 million of improvements - not all of which have begun - started in January, said Jennifer Holmes, the director of operations for the emergency department.
“The first step was to improve the patient experience, starting at the front end,” Holmes said.
Plans for expansion and improvements will help to shave an hour off of emergency room visits. Now, the average visit lasts five hours, though the department has already begun working to reduce wait times. Existing space constraints contribute to long, frustrating waits.
“We’ve just completely run out of room,” Holmes said.
That’s because visits to the emergency department are up, she said, and more patients than average are admitted to the hospital from the ER. Holmes said the uptick is due to a high number of referrals from other places because of diagnostic and other specialties available at UMHS.
“Our major goal is for the patient to be expedited through that initial process so they can see a physician within 30 to 45 minutes of their arrival,” Holmes said. Now, that takes about an hour, although the most urgent cases are seen within seconds.
Improvements to children's emergency services are also on the way. The new C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, scheduled to open in November, will include a 30-bed emergency department for children. Currently, an 11-bed treatment area adjacent to the emergency department at UMHS serves children. The move will open up more space for adult emergency care services at the main hospital.
Other changes on the way include:
• A new entryway is the next piece to get under way, and a 27-bed unit in the emergency department’s treatment area will be the last major piece of the 26,000-square-foot renovation and expansion project. The plan is to open the new rooms by December. Then, patients will no longer line the hallways on gurneys during busy times.
• Psychiatric Emergency Services will be redesigned and relocated within the emergency department, and the Med Inn building will be renovated to accommodate a new location for oral maxillofacial surgery and hospital dentistry, currently located adjacent to the emergency department.
Juliana Keeping is a health and environment reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at julianakeeping@annarbor.com or 734-623-2528. Follow Juliana Keeping on Twitter
Comments
sHa
Mon, Mar 21, 2011 : 8:44 p.m.
I am sorry to say that I must agree with several of the negative comments already posted. My husband suffered through a serious illness that required two hospitalizations and several trips to the ER at UM. The people sitting at the front desk in the ER to "greet" the patients and check them in were nothing short of rude on every visit we made to the ER. I finally complained to the triage nurse and she informed me that others have complained as well. If that is the case, I am puzzled as to why UM tolerates that kind of behavior when it has been brought to their attention. Patients are "customers" and one would think that customer service would be a higher priority. After my husband was admitted to the hospital and moved out of the ER area, he was treated well and in a more compassionate manner by UM staff. I don't think people mind a long wait, etc., if they are treated with respect and compassion in the ER. Many do have a choice on where they will go for medical treatment.
TheDocClock
Mon, Mar 21, 2011 : 3:39 p.m.
No one likes to wait in a waiting room for an inordinate amount of time. We have developed a website that enables patients to check on wait times at ER's, Urgent Care's and doctors offices before they head on over and where they can report in once the are sitting in the waiting room or exam room from any smartphone. Hospitals are also able to report directly from their EDIS. Please checkout <a href="http://www.TheDocClock.com" rel='nofollow'>www.TheDocClock.com</a> Thank you for visiting our site.
RuralMom
Mon, Mar 21, 2011 : 2:18 p.m.
Have had nothing but good experiences at U of M, we also use the ER appropriately. U of M is currently treating our oldest for Hodgkins Lymphoma, losts of ER trips at this stage due to complications with Chemo. St.Joes, I have never had a positive interaction with, won't use that facility period.
Jennifer Holmes
Sun, Mar 20, 2011 : 9:31 p.m.
Thanks to all who have shared your experiences with our Emergency Department. As hard as it is to read negative comments, we know we have opportunities to improve and physical space is but one small piece of the plan. As the new triage area opens and the construction project progresses through the coming months, our entire staff will receive new training focusing on positive communication and friendly, compassionate service for our patients and families. We hope you'll continue to use our emergency services when the need arises, and that you'll continue to share your positive and not-so-great experiences with us as we continue towards our vision to be the leaders and best in all aspects of emergency services for patients of any age. Jennifer Holmes RN MHSA CEN Director, ED Operations University of Michigan Health System
treetowntenor
Mon, Mar 21, 2011 : 12:27 a.m.
I was just getting ready to look up your email address, to point out the comments here. It's heartening that you've already read them, and seem committed to improving the ER situation there. More than one friend has said that the rule for UM is, the more complex the problem, the better the treatment. Hopefully, before long, treatment of patients will be universally good. Do you have the authority to tell *all* staff, including the physicians, to shape up in their bedside manner? I sure hope so.
Chanandler Bong
Sun, Mar 20, 2011 : 5:51 p.m.
As far as ER's in this area go, U of M beats St. Joe hands down. Being from the east side, I prefer Henry Ford the best but the drive is too long. Back in August I was pregnant and hemhorraging blood, we went to St. Joe's because it was the closest hospital to our home. We waited 6 hours alone in the waiting room! That was not even counting the time we spent waiting for the doctor or for radiology to do an ultrasound! By the time we left, blood had soaked all through my jeans, down my legs, and into my shoes and socks. St. Joe's did nothing to help me. The doctor said the ultrasound was inconclusive and I had "PROBABLY just" miscarried. While this crock of a hospital was tending to every drunk sorority floosy that fell down in her heels that night, I had "probably just miscarried" right in their waiting room. I ended up fainting the next day and went to U of M's ER. They took me to a room right away. They did an ultrasound in the first hour of me being there. Turns out my baby was still alive and had a strong heartbeat. When St. Joe's started coming after me for money, I told them to kiss my butt. No one should ever have to pay for that quackery! Another thing... if you are under the age of 60, don't bother going there either. St. Joe's advertisements have clearly stated they are a hospital geared towards the senior population. If you're a pregnant woman in her 20's, forget about it.
mkm17
Sun, Mar 20, 2011 : 5:47 p.m.
Alan, thank you so much for your thoughtful reply. We should all keep in mind that sometimes the patient does not know if an injury or illness is serious or life-threatening, or could quickly become life-threatening. This can especially be the case with children and the elderly. Several years ago I took my Mom to the ER after a fall. Mom seemed fine and said she felt fine and I almost did not take her. It turned out that Mom had a subdural hematoma in her skull, and spent a few days in the ICU. I agree people should not use the ER for an ailment that could wait for a regular office appointment. I like that there exist facilities for "urgent care" needs. That was not the case twenty or thirty years ago when only emergency rooms existed.
julieswhimsies
Sun, Mar 20, 2011 : 5:31 p.m.
I have never had a positive experience at the UM ER. It took 6 hours to see a physician one time with a head injury. I waited 27 hours without food or water at another time. Physicians and nurses were either rude or aloof. I needed to remind several ER docs to wash their hands before touching me. As other posters have stated, there is a lot of gossiping and chatting amongst personnel within earshot of patients. Some of this "chatting" involves discussions about cases they are currently treating. It is humiliating, at best. Fix the facilities. Yes. But first, train all employees to show respect for their patients.
Lisa
Sun, Mar 20, 2011 : 5:21 p.m.
It's a shame they don't have an urgent care center. There are so many little things that need immediate attention late at night or on the weekend that really don't require the full ER visit.
ummsw
Sun, Mar 20, 2011 : 4:42 p.m.
I would agree that often the ER is not used appropriately...However I arrived in and ambulance with life threatening symptoms. My negative treatment began the minute I arrived at the ER..not after evaluation.
anon27
Sun, Mar 20, 2011 : 4:06 p.m.
Wow I am really surprised at the comments. Going to any ER department it's not like going to your physician office. First of all you have to consider the number of traumas they are dealing with not only in the ER but on the floors as well. When a patient gets a CT, MRI, X-ray. You have to think about the number of patients that were before you. When you talk about waiting 12 hrs in the ER kind of make you wonder if you should have been there in the first place, or if your problem was truly an emergency. 12 hr wait time I don't think so.
mkm17
Sun, Mar 20, 2011 : 3:26 p.m.
Alan, it is not the case that the only valid reason to go to an ER is a because of life-threatening emergency. In one instance, my Mom fell. Because she takes warfarin (a blood thinner) x-rays and CAT scans needed to be done to ensure there was no internal bleeding. That process took over 12 hours. Another time Mom had cellulitis after a fall. The cellulitis visibly every hour so we took Mom to the ER. After IV antibiotics Mom was able to go home after about 12 hours. A third time, Mom's blood pressure had risen to a dangerous level. At the ER they gave Mom meds to slowly lower her BP. That took several hours as well. (You get the idea.) As dissatisfied as our family has been with U-M's bedside manner and courteousness, U-M surgeons did an excellent job repairing a complicated, deforming break of my humerus several years ago.
alan
Sun, Mar 20, 2011 : 3:36 p.m.
Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that trauma was the only use for the ER. But the long wait is frequently because of the common use of the ER for non-emergencies such as colds, fevers, minor injuries, etc. In the case of your mother, I think it would have been injudicious of you to wait. My father died of a coumadin overdose and that is a very serious matter. I'm sorry your experience was not better.
alan
Sun, Mar 20, 2011 : 3:09 p.m.
Sorry to hear the bad comments. I wonder why these people went to the ER. I would guess that if you have to wait 11 hours to be seen then you probably don't need to be there. U of M has a premier trauma unit. My daughter was taken there with life threatening head injuries as a result of an auto accident and I truly believe that the only reason that she is alive today is because of the world class care that she received in the ER and in the 2 weeks following that. Not only is she alive but she shows no permanent effects. She is an honor student who will attend U of M next year, in large part because of the fine care she received. I would beg people not to use the ER unless necessary.
nekkidfish
Sun, Mar 20, 2011 : 3:43 p.m.
To be clear, she was seen promptly and then just as promptly ignored. Not every visit to the ER involves bleeding trauma. I consider instant-onset-dementia a medical emergency.
ummsw
Sun, Mar 20, 2011 : 2:43 p.m.
I would agree with previous posters. My most recent experience at UM ER was uncomfortable and humiliating. I came in with what was potentially a life threatening condition, It was made light of, basically they were to busy to deal with me. However my experience when taking my child to the Mott ER was the opposite. Caring. compassionate and supportive. For my needs I will go to St. Joe.
mkm17
Sun, Mar 20, 2011 : 2:30 p.m.
Our experiences with the UMHS ER are similar to what the other posters have written. My Mom, who has Alzheimer's Disease, is not able to rate her pain from 0 to 10. Nor is Mom able to answer other simple questions. Despite this being well documented in "CareWeb" at U-M, the ER staff acts as if they are not able to understand this and even suggest that Mom is more capable than she appears to be. They ask Mom the same questions over and over again. Twenty minutes into the ER visit, even before Mom sees a doctor or PA, Mom is flustered, anxious, and rattled. Our family is considering switching Mom's health care providers to the St. Joe system. We have been reading about SJMH's special emergency room for senior citizens, and we are wondering if this would work out better for Mom.
nekkidfish
Sun, Mar 20, 2011 : 1:52 p.m.
In the last week I have been to U of M ER twice with a family member. She was admitted both times. Our average time in the ER was 11 hours. The first time she was ignored after the first couple hours of tests. The second time it took longer for the tests but once they realized they had no idea what was wrong, she was once again ignored. U of M can make the ER as beautiful as they want but until they have a staff that is actually more concerned about patients and patient care than gossip and complaining about the patients (while patients and family can hear them) they will be a second class hospital.
DDOT1962
Sun, Mar 20, 2011 : 12:25 p.m.
Having lived in and around Ann Arbor over 30 years now, I've had the opportunity to visit the ERs at both St. Joe and UM a few different times. My preference will always be St. Joe's. Staff there has always been expeditious, friendly and (seemingly) concerned. UM has always seemed a bit disorganized, aloof and oddly condescending. I believe UM probably has a cutting-edge hospital overall, but it's first concerns are probably garnering research dollars, teaching, and investigative medicine. I think emphasis on patient service/experience is much higher at St. Joe's.
aa4ever
Sun, Mar 20, 2011 : 12:08 p.m.
UofM can make ER look as nice as possible. Been to both St. Joes ER and UM ER in the last two months with a family member. So many people in the ER at UM were snippy and unfriendly. The tests performed were similar and a little faster at UM. The people at St. Joe's were so much more friendly. The only reason we went to UM the second time was the family doctor suggested it. We would not do it again. They obviously put the customers / patients second. The workers were more interested in their conversation as they all sat in the triage check in area than they were for the patient. The only thing that was better at UM was the valet parking. Everything else wasn't worth going back there. Very disappointed in what is supposed to be a world class hospital.