HCMC Webinar: Departure Lounge: Improving Throughput One Ambulance at a Time

Date: Oct 14, 2026 - Oct 14, 2026

HCMC Webinar: Departure Lounge: Improving Throughput One Ambulance at a Time
 

Members FREE | Non-Members $79 
Time: 12pm CST- 1pm CST

OVERVIEW:

Ambulance transport delays are a common discharge barrier that can negatively impact bed capacity, patient flow, and overall hospital operations. These external delays often contribute to bottlenecks in emergency departments, surgical admissions, and inpatient throughput. Expanding departure lounge models to include patients with nursing care needs can help organizations free inpatient beds earlier in the day, improve discharge efficiency, and enhance patient flow. Drawing on the experience of Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center, the implementation of ambulance-supported discharges demonstrated meaningful improvements in key throughput metrics, including ED boarding times, OR hold times, admission turnaround times, and rates of patients leaving the ED without being seen.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

After attending this session, the learner will be able to:

• Describe how real-time capacity monitoring systems inform transfer decision-making and system-wide situational awareness. 
• Differentiate between transfer redirection strategies for emergent vs. urgent patients and identify when each approach is operationally appropriate. 
• Explain the key components of an effective load balancing process, including triggers, governance, and escalation pathways, to optimize patient flow across a hospital network.  
   

CECs: 1

By attending this program, offered by HCMC, participants may earn up to 1 ACHE Qualifying Education Hours toward initial certification or recertification of the Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE) designation.