LAKEWOOD REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER OFFERS FAST PASS TO EMERGENCY CARE BY TAMMYE MCDUFF Lakewood Regional Medical [LRMC] implemented their newest program, the - ‘ER Fast Pass’ in June to assist the Ur- gent Care Centers in the area. This Fast Pass allows patients to be evaluated at other facilities and then be transferred to LRMC emergen- cy room quickly. This is not the ‘fast pass’ of youR > favorite : themed amusement park. The patient is mouse- ae a ceive priority assessment, walk-ins are quickly checked in and evaluated, some simply need an antibiotic and can be dis- charged rather quickly and then there are those that need complete work- ups to assess their condition. Fast Pass helps to begin the initial diagnosis at the Urgent Care and then bring pa- tients to LRMC for additional testing such as a CAT scan or x- rays. With Fast Pass these tests given a red card that Pree iss | can be ordered says ‘ER Fast Pass’. alien ome right away, whereas * On the back of the os bie. patients coming into card is the informa- tion from the origi- nating Urgent Care facility along with the patient’s pertinent infor- mation. Lakewood Regional ER desk staff then retrieves that information and registers patients immediately. LRMC doctors will have already discussed the health situation with the Urgent Care personnel and will be able to continue the care by taking x-rays and assessing tests already completed; ad- mitting the patient with much less stress. There are different levels in the emer- gency room as to how patients move through the check in system. The hospital ER is filled with Ambulance deliveries, walk-ins, and transfers. Some emergency situations are more serious than others. Those people arriving by ambulance re- EMERGENCY ROO! a 4 De ee eee eee the lobby receive pre- liminary testing by the ER staff. The Fast Pass does not put one patient before another, but it will speed up the care and testing processes. Obviously someone who comes in and is in full cardiac ar- rest will be a priority versus a patient that comes in with a common cold. The idea was a collaborative brain storm from multiple facilities, ER staff members and administration to bridge the information gap between Urgent Care and emergency rooms. LRMC is always looking to improve care for the local community and the Fast Pass helps to diagnosis patients quicker. Any Urgent Care or doctor’s office can ac- cess the Fast Pass option to transfer a pa- tient.