A Smarter Model of ED Care

Mercy Hospital Fairfield demonstrates how a successful third-party partnership can lead to improved clinical and operational performance.

Today's hospitals are saddled with a host of issues that were not on the radar even a few years ago. Among them, a changing payer mix—identified by more uninsured patients as well as those who are fully insured but have greater out-of-pocket expense—is driving up uncompensated care rates.

Add to that the challenges hospitals face in finding and retaining qualified clinicians and the prospect of tens of millions of lives entering the healthcare system via healthcare reform, and it's not difficult to see how important it is for healthcare organizations to identify ways to be more efficient and contain costs, while also continuing to improve the quality of care they deliver.