Pictured above, L to R, CEO Mark Uffer reviews plans with COO Mitch Winnik and ER Director Jennifer Peach-Guzman, RN, BSN, MBA.
Our Mission: To Transform the Patient Experience in Western Riverside County
As construction of our new ER is nearing completion, our clinical and care teams continue to be engaged in providing quality care and making sure that patient expectations are not only being met, but exceeded. We’ve embarked on a plan to improve the patient experience and each day, our employees are working hard to make that plan a reality.
“We’ve made some changes, and as a result, our patient satisfaction scores have risen dramatically over the last year and continue to climb,” says Director of the Emergency Room Jennifer Peach-Guzman, RN, BSN, MBA, who teamed up with Chief Nursing Officer and Patient Experience Director Kim Colonnelli, RN, BSN, MBA, and Medical Director of the Emergency Room, James Rhee, MD, to help put the new ER processes in place.
One of those changes involves the placement of a pivot nurse, the first person people see when they enter the ER. The pivot nurse is specially trained to direct people to the appropriate area upon arrival, which reduces the amount of time a patient waits to be seen. Jennifer says patients are triaged to different areas of the emergency room, depending upon their situation. “Patients with the flu, lacerations, broken bones or scrapes, are directed to the Rapid Medical Exam area where they are evaluated and treated by physician assistants,” says Jennifer. “This frees up beds for patients with more serious health issues, such as cardiac arrest, asthma attacks, abdominal pain and severe dehydration.”
Jennifer explains that when beds are available, they can save the initial triage steps and do the evaluation right at the bedside. “Nurses from the Rapid Medical Exam area assist with diagnosing conditions, which allows the patient to receive care quicker,” she says. “We also streamlined the process in getting admitted patients transferred to their rooms.”
Chief Nursing Officer Kim Colonnelli, RN, BSN, MBA, is helping to prepare the clinical teams for the move to the new ER and taking care of all details and logistics of licensing and certification. “We are also cross-training our ER techs to take on additional duties. Their skill sets will be of great value in maximizing the efficiency of patient care in the larger ER space.”
Jennifer says they are establishing a group of volunteer patient concierges to be stationed in the new ER. “We currently treat about 130 patients in the ER every day, and sometimes people get anxious while waiting,” says Jennifer. “Our patient concierges will be there to help comfort people. If someone needs a blanket, or a drink of water, we want to reach out and help,” she says. “We want people to know that Corona is their community hospital.”
Change is All About Helping the Community
In addition to being excited about the new emergency room, Chief Operating Officer Mitch Winnik is looking forward to other improvements at the hospital.
Some of those changes have included shell space above the new ER to accommodate future expansion of patient rooms, new security systems, a new valet service, upgrades to patient rooms, renovations to restrooms, cafeteria and painting the building exterior.
“We have put new processes in place and are making positive changes to transform healthcare and maintain a culture in which people thrive. Our employees really care about each other and are passionate about the hospital and the community. We are looking at raising the standard of care that our patients expect to receive, and we want to be the hospital of choice in the community,” he says.
Highly Skilled Emergency Care
The Emergency Department at Corona Regional Medical Center is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This specialized department is designed for patients with acute or traumatic illnesses or injuries and is staffed by board-certified physicians and nurses who are trained in cardiac life support.