Abstract:

Lucy Normen, Chief Operating Officer of Sweetbriar Hospital, had just gotten off the phone with her Emergency Department Director, Dr. Max Warner. He was very upset with the present situation in the ED: people currently boarding in the ED hallways because there were no open inpatient beds; some patients waiting over 24 hours to be admitted; stressed out medical staff.” Dr. Warner worried about possible mistakes—and likely drops in patient satisfaction scores. Lucy was puzzled. They had just spent millions of dollars on expanding the hospital’s emergency department, yet in the three months since it re-opened things had gotten worse rather than better. She had a strong feeling that her problems were all related to inefficient patient flow throughout the hospital, but didn’t quite know how to address them. 

Available from Harvard Business Publishing