If you've ever been to the hospital, you're familiar with the lengthy admission process before you get treated. Archbold Hospital is one step closer to expediting the process.
Pamela Carter has been by her mothers' side for her dialysis treatment for years. She says they've been to other hospitals in the past and the wait from the emergency room to the physician has been a horrible experience, but Monday morning offered some relief.
"For her being able to come in and come right into a room real quick, especially getting a bed with all the problems she's got it's great, wonderful," Pamela Carter says.
Here's how it works: the patient admission unit takes patients straight from the emergency room. A team of nurses work directly at the bedside, not in a waiting room, administering medicine and getting them to the doctor quicker.
"They do the entire nursing assessment and physical. We operate off physicians orders we have the potential of starting an IV or give them a diet or whatever the physician orders we do it," says Lou Ellen Parker.
Hospital officials say nationally it takes an average of 8-10 hours for the admission process, and with the new unit they've reached their goal of two.
"My mom's been coming here for about six or seven years now and from past experiences, today was actually pretty quick so that makes us happy,” Pamela Carter adds.
And that's a sign that Archbold's efforts to improve their continuity of care is working. There are currently ten beds in the unit. Archbold officials say eventually they hope to expand it to help with discharges and the overflow of patients in the emergency room.
