SHM Converge Scientific Abstract ePoster Gallery-Impact of 9am Huddle on Average Length of Stay (Alos)

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This poster describes a quality improvement project at Bridgeport Hospital, part of Yale New Haven Health System, aimed at reducing average length of stay (ALOS) amid rising inpatient volumes and increasing patient acuity. The hospital has experienced growth in surgical cases, cardiac catheterizations, and transfers from outside hospitals, while case mix index has also risen. Despite these pressures, the project reports improved ALOS, likely due to transitional care rounds (TCR).<br /><br />The intervention centers on interdisciplinary communication. TCR are structured daily rounds held in a designated location for 30–45 minutes, involving hospitalists, care coordinators, nurse leaders, social workers, therapists, discharge planners, and unit nurses. The rounds focus on discharge planning, identifying barriers, and promoting earlier discharges, especially before 11 a.m. A complementary 9 a.m. huddle was introduced when enthusiasm waned; it provides a brief review of patients identified for discharge during prior TCR and reinforces goals for timely discharge. Attendance is tracked with QR codes and weekly logs, and leadership support plus coaching are used to improve adherence. Incentives such as Barnum bucks were also introduced to encourage 11 a.m. discharges.<br /><br />The project follows a stepwise QI framework: identifying need and stakeholders, addressing workflow barriers, collecting baseline metrics, piloting and monitoring through PDSA cycles, analyzing outcomes with regression and time-series methods, and then expanding the intervention across medical and surgical units. Outcome measures include hospital-wide ALOS, 30-day readmissions, mortality, and hospitalist-specific discharge timing.<br /><br />The poster argues that standardized interdisciplinary communication improves bed turnover, helps predict bed availability, supports elective scheduling, and reduces emergency department delays without compromising patient safety.

Asset Subtitle

Lakshmi Polisetty

Meta Tag

Author List Azim Fahmi, Kumuthini Partheepan, Lakshmi Polisetty, Monique Misra, Sandeep Nayak

Category Innovations

Concept Transitional Care Rounds

Concept Average Length of Stay

Concept Discharge Planning

Concept 9 AM huddle

Concept Inpatient Flow

Distinguished Non-Finalist

Presenter Organization NEMG, Bridgeport Hospital, YNHH

Presenting Author Lakshmi Polisetty

Track Transitions of Care

Keywords

quality improvement

average length of stay

transitional care rounds

interdisciplinary communication

discharge planning

hospital throughput

bed turnover

PDSA cycles

readmission rates

Bridgeport Hospital

Transitional Care Rounds

Average Length of Stay

Discharge Planning

9 AM huddle

Inpatient Flow