This week we would like to discuss the Emergency Services at NMMC-Tupelo. We receive a lot of feedback concerning the ER, both positive and negative. On the positive side, many patients and their families have told us that the ER was instrumental in saving their lives or helping to treat a serious illness. They relate that the staff provided expedient care in a compassionate, caring manner.

The most common complaint we hear concerns the wait time to receive care. In the perfect scenario, patients would be seen immediately upon entering the ER. However, the sheer volume of patients who utilize this service, approximately 150-180 per day or 56,000 annually, makes this quite challenging. Our Emergency Department is a Level 2 trauma center that serves as a regional referral center for both trauma and medical patients. Because of this designation and the depth of medical specialties available, the ER has higher patient volume than other hospitals in this area. Patients arrive in personal vehicles, by ambulance through emergency response calls or transfers from nursing homes and other hospitals, and helicopter. NMMC's Ambulance Service and Aeromedical Service work closely with county and community agencies and other health care providers in transporting patients to the ER.

Emergency needs are divided into three levels - non-responsive life threatening, life threatening, and non-life threatening. NMMC's ER is divided into two areas: Express Care and General Care. Patients with non-life threatening conditions are seen in Express Care, while all others are treated in General Care. Our common goal for both areas is to provide the highest level of quality care.

A common misperception is that patients are seen in the order of arrival. Generally, the patient's illness is the determining factor in the wait time before being seen. Critically injured or ill patients require increased treatment time in the Emergency Department and may cause those with less severe needs to wait. Every effort is made to place patients in an exam room after they are assessed. If no beds are available in the area in which they have been assigned, patients may be asked to wait in the lobby until their room is ready. While this may help explain what's going on in the ER, these are not excuses for not improving.

We have initiated two changes which should address your concerns. First, we have hired additional nurses and increased physician coverage in order to expedite the care provided in the ER. Second, we have a completely new leadership team over the ER, including a new administrative director, new medical director and new vice president responsible for the area.

Please rest assured that addressing your concerns about the ER is one of our top priorities and will receive a lot of attention from the leadership and Board of NMMC. Thanks for your continued support.
 

December 26, 2004