SHM Converge Scientific Abstract ePoster Gallery-Hospitalist Advanced Practice Providers Take the Fast Lane: A New Route for Ambulatory Rapid Response

Pdf Summary

University of Colorado Hospital implemented a Hospitalist Advanced Practice Provider-led Ambulatory Rapid Response Team (ARRT) to improve care for medical emergencies in outpatient clinics and reduce reliance on EMS and the Emergency Department. Before ARRT, outpatient emergencies were handled by calling EMS 100% of the time, with about 15 minutes for response and roughly 40 minutes to reach the ED, adding cost and delay for patients and the institution.<br /><br />The ARRT, launched in 2021, is a multidisciplinary team led by hospitalist APPs and ED nurses. It responds to an average of 59 cases per month, with common presentations including altered mental status, falls, hypotension, syncope/presyncope, and respiratory distress. The team carries equipment and medications to assess, treat, and stabilize patients on site; more severe events such as cardiac or respiratory arrest trigger additional support services.<br /><br />Recent 2025 data show substantial improvement in response efficiency: the average time from page to provider arrival is 5.5 minutes, and the average time from page to completion is 23.7 minutes. Compared with the prior EMS-based model, this represents faster care and better use of community and hospital resources. Importantly, about 12–15% of rapid response cases are managed without ED transfer, with APPs directly discharging some patients home or keeping them safely in the outpatient setting.<br /><br />Overall, the ARRT appears to be a novel, efficient, and effective model for ambulatory emergencies in hospital-adjacent outpatient areas. Future plans include establishing APP Core Faculty and expanding simulation training to further strengthen team capabilities.

Asset Subtitle

Haley Briggs, PA-C

Meta Tag

Author List Haley Briggs, PA-C, Henry R. Kramer, Laura Freese, Lauren McBeth

Category Innovations

Concept Ambulatory Rapid Response Team

Concept Ambulatory Medical Emergency

Concept Response Time

Concept Advanced Practice Provider

Concept Emergency Department Arrival Time

Distinguished Finalist

Presenter Organization Univeristy of Colorado

Presenting Author Haley Briggs, PA-C

Track Quality Improvement

Keywords

Hospitalist Advanced Practice Provider

Ambulatory Rapid Response Team

outpatient emergencies

University of Colorado Hospital

EMS reduction

Emergency Department transfer

rapid response efficiency

altered mental status

simulation training

multidisciplinary team

Ambulatory Rapid Response Team

Ambulatory Medical Emergency

Response Time

Advanced Practice Provider

Emergency Department Arrival Time