Expanding Access, Strengthening Community Presence: A New Hybrid Model for On-demand Care Delivery

AHA Knowledge Exchange Expanding Access, Strengthening Community Presence: A New Hybrid Model for On-demand Care Delivery

AHA Knowledge Exchange

How integrated emergency and urgent care partnerships can improve patient access, engagement and outcomes.

Health systems are under increasing pressure to improve patient access, expand ambulatory care networks and meet rising consumer expectations amid capital and operational constraints. Integrated emergency department (ED) and urgent care (UC) models offer a strategic approach, helping patients access the appropriate level of care while improving patient experience, strengthening community presence and supporting efficient use of resources. These care models also introduce operational, clinical and regulatory considerations, including EMTALA screening and stabilization requirements and partnership structures that can support capital-efficient growth. This e-book explores the strategies health care leaders are using to improve access, strengthen the front door of care and optimize ambulatory networks. It also examines how strategic partnerships can improve patient flow, expand access to care and create sustainable value across the care continuum.

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5 strategies health systems are using to expand access, improve throughput and create sustainable value

Reposition the front door around consumer needs, not care settings. Health systems are exploring integrated access models that remove the burden from patients to determine where to seek care, enabling clinicians to direct individuals to the appropriate level of care while improving experience.
Improve emergency department throughput by better matching demand with resources. As health systems confront persistent ED crowding and capacity constraints, hybrid ED/urgent care models offer an approach for routing patients to the appropriate level of care within the same site following EMTALA screening and stabilization requirements, helping organizations improve patient flow and support broader throughput goals.
Create a more flexible and sustainable operating model. As health systems navigate staffing and operational pressures, integrated care models can reduce duplication, better align resources with patient demand and improve operational efficiency while maintaining quality and patient safety.
Expand access and capabilities through capital-efficient partnerships. As health systems seek new avenues to expand services and strengthen care delivery, strategic partnerships can provide a lower-cost pathway to broaden access, add new capabilities, tap specialized expertise and bring services to communities more quickly while sharing development costs and operational risk.
Address social, behavioral health and access barriers that drive ED utilization. As health systems work to improve throughput and access, many recognize that ED demand is increasingly influenced by social needs, behavioral health challenges and gaps in primary care access. Expanding community-based services, strengthening care coordination and connecting patients to appropriate resources can help address underlying drivers of ED utilization while improving outcomes.