The Boston-based Institute for Healthcare Optimization's 14-hospital pilot program to reduce hospital "bottlenecks" — when inefficiencies result from increased patient volumes — has been highly successful, in some cases doubling patient capacities, according to a report in NJ Spotlight.
The IHO worked with the New Jersey Hospital Association for the project, launching it in July 2013.
As part of the project, hospitals used evidence-based admissions criteria to admit patients, rather than making admissions decisions on an individual basis. Hospitals also classified the urgency of non-elective surgeries with an A through F grading system.
Capacity increased as much as 22,000 patients in emergency departments and between 11,800 and 17,300 patients in inpatient settings, all without adding extra beds or rooms, according to the report.
Hospitals involved in the program include Camden-based Cooper University Hospital, Montclair-based HackensackUMC Mountainside, Woodbury-based Inspira Health Network, Neptune-based Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Long Branch-based Monmouth Medical Center, Morristown (N.J.) Medical Center, Brick-based Ocean Medical Center, Summit-based Overlook Medical Center, New Brunswick-based Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Paterson-based St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center and Newark-based University Hospital.