CLIENT: Inspira Health Network
CASE STUDY
VINELAND, NJ
Averages are not enough to answer complex questions that involve interacting variables. Traditionally, architects rely on average utilization benchmarks to determine appropriate department sizes when planning a new facility. While these averages might adequately predict space for the design of an office building or parking lot, they sometimes fall short of accurately determining the space needed for healthcare facilities.
SERVICE: Transformation
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
METHOD: Throughput Analysis
Inspira Health Network experienced significant emergency department (ED) holds due to a lack of inpatient capacity. Analysis of patient arrival and unit assignment data led the team to believe that treating observation patients in inpatient units is causing
Challenge
the capacity problem. A discrete event simulation (DES) model helped determine the
Growth in the emergency department caused the hospital to use inpatient, transitional care beds for observation patients, leading to a reduction in available inpatient capacity and high utilization of other inpatient units.
inpatient pressures.
appropriate size of an observation unit needed to reduce ED holds and relieve current
Solution Array developed a simulation model to quantify the impact of making the transitional care beds available for inpatient use again and adding an observation unit. The model helped the staff see how adding different quantities of observation beds would alter the utilization of different bed types.
PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
24
INPATIENT BEDS AVAILABLE
70%
TARGET OBSERVATION UTILIZATION
30
OBSERVATION BEDS INCREASE CAPACITY