Hudson Valley Hospital Center Celebrates 5th Anniversary of "No Wait" Emergency Department

Only "No Wait" ED in the region receives high marks from patients

Cortlandt Manor, NY - (Oct 5, 2010)– They said it couldn’t be done. But after five years, Hudson Valley Hospital Center has proved that its revolutionary "No-Wait" Emergency Department can get patients in and out faster and with a minimum of waiting.

On Tuesday, Oct. 5, Hudson Valley Hospital Center celebrated the 5th anniversary of its "No-Wait" ED with a ceremony in the Emergency Department’s waiting room. The event was attended by former patients and by representatives from Entergy and Westchester County, which presented a proclamation to the Hospital to mark the milestone.

"One of the reasons we could hold this event in the waiting room is that our waiting room is usually empty, and that is not for lack of patients. Hudson Valley Hospital Center has the second busiest ED in Westchester County," said John C. Federspiel, President of Hudson Valley Hospital Center. "No one in distress should have to wait for hours to be seen. People who come into our Emergency Department spend little or no time in our waiting room. It all part of our philosophy: that patients are people first."

Dr. Denise Rinato, an OB/GYN who lives in Somers and practices in Cortlandt, said she learned about the efficiency of the Hospital’s "No-Wait" Emergency Department first hand on March 24 when her husband had a heart attack.

"My husband woke up on his 52 birthday about 9:30 a.m. with chest and shoulder pain," said Dr. Rinato. "Even though we live in Somers, our doctor is here so I insisted we come to Hudson Valley. My husband’s treatment could not have been better. Everyone was wonderful. He arrived at the hospital at 10:25 he was seen within 10 minutes and by 12 he had had a stent placed and was doing well."

Dr. Ron Nutovits, Chairman of Emergency Medicine, Hudson Valley Hospital Center, said most patients who walk into the Emergency Department are escorted right into registration, then moved into triage, without ever spending time in the waiting room. Hudson Valley Hospital’s Emergency Room is the only no-wait Emergency Department in the region, serving about 35,000 patients a year. Patients spend an average of 4 hours and 48 minutes in New York Emergency Departments (ED) according to Press Ganey. By comparison, Hudson Valley Hospital Center discharges its ED patients in a third less time.

"Team work is at the heart of our success" said Dr. Nutovits, who added that the ED is led by emergency medicine board certified physicians as well as Magnet status emergency trained registered nurses. "It's like an intricately choreographed dance. Everyone must do their part. Whether it’s bedside registration, electronic medical records or quick turnaround of lab results, all these services contribute to the final outcome."

Patients clearly approve of the no-wait concept, Press Ganey rankings consistently put HVHC’s ED in the 90th percentile and higher for patient satisfaction. The scores are even more impressive because the Hospital recently doubled the size of its Emergency Department going from 19 emergency treatment bays to 39 as part of its recent $100 million renovation and expansion of the Hospital.