The Medical City launches expanded Emergency Care Unit

Emergent care has found a champion in The Medical City. On June 30, TMC officially launched its newly expanded Emergency Care Unit, simultaneously announcing that the turn-around time for emergency cases would, from now on, be four hours or less. 

It was a development dubbed “very bold” by Department of Health Secretary Dr. Teodoro “Ted” Herbosa. 

“Today is a real fruition of our commitment to saving lives and delivering timely, high-quality emergency care,” said Herbosa. “It’s important that we have efforts like this that can [give] a deeper understanding of the vital role of emergency physicians in addressing critical illness, trauma, and life-threatening situations…that demand swift, sound decisions.”

Also present at the launch were TMC leaders including TMC President and Group CEO Dr. Stuart Bennett, TMC Ortigas EVP and CEO Dr. Ruben G. Kasala, TMC Ortigas Chief Medical Officer Dr. Gregorio S. Martinez, Jr., and TMC Group Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer Dr. Christian G. Delos Reyes. 

More efficient emergency care

Emergency room patients across all TMC hospitals in the country can now expect a quicker, more streamlined process of care in the new Expanded Emergency Care Unit. The redesigned space allows for a more efficient flow of patients, significantly reducing wait times and improving the overall experience during urgent medical situations.

After staff collect patient information at the registration area, physician-led triage will take place. As medical professionals assess the patient’s condition, the patient can rest at the upgraded waiting area. A digital queuing system lets everyone know who is next. 

Those who need prompt but non-life-threatening care are attended to at the Urgent Care area. Triage and care for psychological emergencies take place in the dedicated Mental Health High Dependency Secure Area. 

Patients experiencing life-threatening conditions, such as stroke, heart attacks, and sepsis, are given immediate treatment by the rapid-response team at the fully equipped emergent area. 

As the only chain of hospitals in the Philippines with its own Joint Commission International-accredited Acute Myocardial Infarction Program, TMC’s Emergency Care Unit is fully equipped to open blocked arteries within an hour for heart attack patients. Patients experiencing stroke or developing stroke will be seen within 10 minutes by a Brain Attack Team, and immediately evaluated for acute care. 

Throughout a patient’s stay in the emergency room, TMC’s red coat ambassadors will be there to assist, answer questions, and help make the experience as smooth as possible. 

All this takes place within four hours. 

A team effort

Dr. Stuart Bennett attributes the faster ER turnover time to doctor-led triage. 

“This way, the doctor sees the patient within the first five to 10 minutes, completely changing the way in which care is delivered,” Bennett said. “It means the patient gets access to potentially life-saving treatments earlier on.”

All TMC’s senior doctors running their own departments are aligned toward one goal: to ensure the quick and efficient treatment of every ER patient. 

The laboratory and radiology departments have streamlined their processes to ensure the faster management of lab tests, x-rays, and CT scans. TMC has also increased the number of beds available, and reinforced this with ample staffing. ER patients who need to be admitted no longer have to wait for hours for a vacant bed. 

Staffing has also been boosted. While there are less than 40 doctors running the entire emergency department at any given time, the ER has a full complement of nurses; around 120.

All these nurses have access to subspecialty training in programs, including critical care, ICU, and emergency care. By giving its ER nurses opportunities for more specialized training, TMC has opened a pathway for nurses to stay and help run the ER department. 

“It took us six months to change each system to make this work,” said Bennett. “And this [expanded emergency care] is implemented across [all TMC hospitals]. This four-hour waiting time is part of our DNA now.”

For more information about The Medical City, visit www.themedicalcity.com or send them a message on Facebook.

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