Unlocking Inpatient Capacity: Proven Strategies to Reduce ED Boarding and Accelerate Throughput

Hospitals nationwide continue to face the dual challenge of ED overcrowding and delayed inpatient flow. This webinar delivers practical, results driven strategies to streamline inpatient work ups, accelerate diagnostic testing, optimize physician ordering practices, and strengthen discharge workflows.

Join us to learn how targeted process improvements can expand inpatient capacity, reduce ED boarding times, and create a smoother, more efficient experience for both patients and care teams. Attendees will walk away with actionable tactics they can implement immediately to improve throughput and support high performing hospital operations.

Learning Objectives

• Identify key patient populations where expedited testing and early discharge tactics can significantly improve daily flow.
• Apply predictive strategies—including anticipated admissions and discharge forecasting—to accelerate decision‑making and remove common barriers to inpatient throughput.
• Demonstrate how optimizing inpatient throughput directly translates into measurable improvements in ED bed availability and overall hospital capacity.

CECs: 1

By attending this program, offered by HCMC, participants may earn up to 1 ACHE Qualifying Education Hours toward initial certification or recertification of the Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE) designation.

Speaker:

Susan Grimwood, DNP, APRN-C

Susan Grimwood, DNP, APRN-C, is Sarasota Memorial Health Care System’s Executive Director of Capacity, Logistics and Patient Throughput. Susan is a seasoned leader who had a key role in the development of SMH’s Departure Lounge and Logistics Center, which have been cited by national experts as best practices. In recent years, as SMHCS has experienced an enormous increase in volumes, Susan has ensured the appropriate placement of hundreds of thousands of patients, developed and facilitated discharge and throughput processes throughout the system, and developed and implemented complex COVID-19 surge plans. Her expertise and influence have been essential in system-wide efforts to serve the growing community.

On-Demand Access

Only HCMC members will have access to the on-demand recording of this webinar. Non-members will be able to view the LIVE session only and will not have access to the recording afterward.

Join HCMC for on-demand access >>