In 2015, two nurses created a program to help medically complex children during emergencies. What they did not know at the time is the program would go on to improve care for those patients as well as save hospitals hundreds of millions of dollars.
Project Austin, which started at and operates out of Omaha-based Children's Nebraska, is a national program that provides emergency service personnel with the most recent medical information for medically complex children in need of emergency care. The latest evolution of the program is an app to allow easier access to update medications, diagnoses and equipment needed. Currently, it uses paper copies of that information.
The program was started by Tiffany Simon, MSN, RN, and Natalie McCawley, MSN, RN, in 2015. Since its launch, Project Austin has supported more than 2,000 children in eight states and partnered with 700 EMS departments. The program has reduced hospital admissions by 27% and reduced overall hospital stays by 50% for medically complex children, the nurses said.
Project Austin has also saved hospitals roughly $221 million.
"It's about getting that right information to the right people, which translates to that right care," Ms. McCawley told Becker's.
About 10% of EMS calls are pediatric patients, and medically complex pediatric patients can be high risk and cause anxiety for providers, Ms. McCawley said. Project Austin and its customizable plans have resulted in EMS personnel, emergency department providers and caregivers having greater confidence in getting patients the right care.
Project Austin is run by a department of eight people at Children's Nebraska and it is looking to expand to other regional pediatric hospitals.