carondelet foundation fall 2008 - Carondelet Health Network

St. Mary’s New Emergency Center
Improves Patient Care
three years ago, a new 30,000 square
foot, state-of-the-art emergency Center
opened at st. Mary’s Hospital. the
direct result of the many generous
donations made to the Foundation’s
four-year Matter of Life campaign, the
emergency Center is now the largest in
tucson with 54 private beds. the Center
serves an average of 54,000 patients each
year, a 7% increase over the annual prerenovation
caseload.
to accommodate a larger patient
volume, the Center has an expanded
area in which to triage cases, ensuring
the most severe conditions are treated
promptly. A “fast track” system is used
to expedite treatment and discharge of
simpler, non-emergency cases. to improve operational efficiency, a computerized
patient status tracking system manages patient flow from admission to discharge.
In addition to treating more patients, the quality of care provided at the emergency
Center has been improved with rooms specially designed and equipped to treat shock
and trauma, cardiopulmonary arrest, and other acute conditions. Patient and staff
safety has been improved with areas designated for decontaminating patients exposed
An expanded nurse’s station in the
Emergency Center serves as “command
central” for patient tracking and care.
8 / Q u e s t Mag a z i n e
Specially designed areas
facilitate prompt treatment
of acute conditions
to toxic substances and for the isolation
of patients with infectious diseases or
behavioral health issues.
the emergency Center’s medical staff
is working to further improve patient
satisfaction and the overall quality of
care by implementing “It’s Okay to
Ask,” a program that encourages patients
and their families to be actively involved
in their care. uninsured patients also
receive assistance in finding a “medical
home” that can provide primary care
following discharge.
Day in and day out, emergency rooms
throughout the country are struggling
to keep up with the demand for their
services. tucson is no exception,
especially during the winter months.
However, our local situation would be far
worse if it were not for our communityminded
donors who made the new st.
Mary’s emergency Center a reality.