Andalusia Star News


ER personnel shown, (front row, from left) include DeAnna Donaldson, Emergency Department Director Amy Herrington, Steve Marcotte, Chief Clinical Officer Melissa Davis, and Sonya Syler; (back row) Dr. Mark Griffin, medical director of the ER, Dr. Rick Roller, CEO Steve Selzer, and John Elms.

About 18 months ago, Dr. Mark Griffin, medical director of the emergency room at Andalusia Regional Hospital, made a bold statement.

Griffin, who had just learned that his ER ranked 16th of 19 similarly-sized hospitals within Lifepoint, its parent organization, said ARH would be ranked No. 1 by April of 2015.

Based on numbers released last week, the Andalusia emergency department has already met that goal. The designation is based upon how quickly patients get in and out of the emergency room, core measures based on national standards, and patient satisfaction scores.

“Our physicians, mid-levels and staff worked very, very hard on that goal, and as of Dec. 31, 2014, we earned the top designation,” ARH Emergency Department Director Amy Herrington said. “We had to look at our processes for getting patients back here to see physicians and providers quickly. Our goal is for them not to sit out in the waiting room.”

More specifically, the goal is to get patients in and out of the ER in 114 minutes. At present, they are exceeding the goal with an average of 109 minutes per patient.

To do that, the staff has changed protocols. For instance, if someone presents with an ankle injury, he or she is taken straight to radiology. That way, when they see a physician in the ER, that doctor already has the test results needed for treatment... READ MORE> 

By Michele Gerlach 
Andalusia Star News