The new unit will be chair-based, like Grayling Hospital’s Cancer and Infusion Center, and will be located next to the Emergency Department. It will be used for observation patients, and also serve as a single location for patients needing certain outpatient services including diagnostic testing, provider assessment, medical decision-making and care coordination. For example, patients who need a surgical clearance may also spend time in this new unit.
“We will bring as many staff, specialists, services or testing needed to the patients, instead of making them walk around the hospital and come back on multiple days,” said Liz Monk, Vice President of Care Coordination at Munson Healthcare Grayling Hospital. “Typically, a patient has to wait at multiple locations to get all necessary testing done and, on average, from time-of-decision to surgery is about 2 - 3 weeks. Much of that time is spent coming back and forth to the hospital for tests.”
“The goal of the new unit is to have our processes centered on the patient, so they can get the care they need in an efficient, single encounter that seamlessly flows into the outpatient setting, including their primary-care offices, surgeons’ offices or specialists,” explained Liz. “For many diagnoses, this process is expected to reduce a patient’s stay in observation by at least 12 hours, and the pre-surgical process by about a week. This will be a major improvement in the patient experience, and we’re very excited to open this new unit in to provide even better care for our patients.”
The second phase of the construction will be redesigning the layout of the main entrance and emergency entrance areas of the hospital to improve the flow for registration. It will also include relocating services patients use regularly, like the laboratory and pharmacy, closer to the front of the hospital for easier access.
“The construction planning for the second phase is very early on,” explained Josh Bitson, Director of Facilities at Munson Healthcare Grayling Hospital. “Now that construction has started on the first phase, we will be focusing on getting this finalized as soon as possible with the goal to have the second phase start shortly after the first phase is finished.”