The Challenge
A regional health authority was facing severe inefficiencies in mental health patient flow across six hospitals. Patients were frequently held in emergency departments for extended periods — sometimes in hallways or unsuitable beds — because the system had no unified process for matching patients to the right inpatient beds.
Hospitals operated in silos, each managing their own beds with limited regional coordination. The result was poor capacity management, inconsistent bed utilization, and lost funding due to patients being placed in the wrong level of care.
The Approach
A region-wide analysis mapped the end-to-end patient journey from emergency department presentation to inpatient admission. Future-state processes were designed to:
- Reduce variation across all six hospital sites.
- Standardize intake and transfer decisions.
- Improve handoffs and communication between hospitals.
- Introduce a simple shared digital tool using accessible technology, giving all six hospitals real-time visibility of available mental health beds across the region.
The Outcome
The standardized process and shared visibility system dramatically improved patient flow. Emergency department overcrowding decreased, transfers occurred more quickly and appropriately, and regional bed utilization increased to 93%. The initiative strengthened collaboration between hospitals, improved patient experience, and demonstrated how a low-cost, well-designed coordination mechanism can produce system-wide impact.
The work was later published in a quality improvement journal as a leading practice.