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Auburn Memorial Hospital Announces Details of Emergency, Urgent Care Center Transition
July 6, 2010 — Auburn Memorial Hospital has selected Pegasus Emergency Group to oversee the operation of its emergency care unit (ECU) and urgent care centers (UCCs). The Hospital announced earlier this month that it had completed a yearlong process of assessment, analysis, and consideration, and that the board of trustees and administration were working on finalizing a letter of intent with a nationally known emergency care provider.
By partnering with a leading expert in emergency care, the Hospital fully expects to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of its ECU, create easier access, reduce patient wait times, and measure its performance to ensure success.
“In considering various emergency medicine management groups, we were highly impressed by the quality of leadership and medical care provided by Pegasus Emergency Group,” said Dr. James Blute, Chief Medical Officer at Auburn Memorial Hospital. “We were equally impressed by the operational effectiveness, professional atmosphere, and friendliness we witnessed in other emergency departments run by their organization.”
Auburn Memorial Hospital has a goal to be among the top 5-10% of all community hospitals in the nation. To achieve this, the Hospital must raise its performance even higher as it meets the evolving needs of its community. “For many patients, the ECU is the front door to our hospital and the face of our organization during their time of greatest need,” said Scott Berlucchi, President and CEO at Auburn Memorial Hospital. “For this reason, we decided to partner with an organization that has successfully worked with ECUs all over the United States.”
Pegasus officially starts on July 12, and the transition process is already underway. Current practices have been evaluated and plans are being developed to make improvements. Dr. Kevin Takakawa will serve as the Interim Medical Director for the Emergency Department.
Over the coming months, a state of the art electronic medical records (EMR) system will be implemented to improve patient safety, risk management, and core measure compliance.
The Hospital also expressed its grateful appreciation for the tremendous ongoing dedication and service of its ECU and UCC doctors, nurses, and other staff. “We rely on them to play a critical role over the coming months as we continue to improve service to the community and move Auburn Memorial Hospital to the next level,” Berlucchi said.
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