So what does this program at U of M have that we don’t have? One is a special name. The other is someone who will continually tell the patient what they are doing next and how they will get there and back.

I think that a subset of patients who require a prolonged and coordinated work-up should be immediately moved to another section of the ED. Some EDs do this in their observation area. What’s missing is a name that conveys the important work to be done there. Something like “Coordinated Evaluation Center” would work, although it’s not very snappy. Then people would know they are not in the ED anymore. They are in a special place with people who devote their day to the coordination of complex care and the frequent and effective communication to patients and families.

What we do is just as special as the program at U of M. We just need to be better about communicating what we do. I’m sure many of you are thinking that in that process it would be great to have more space to do this. I hear ya, brother (and sister). One step at a time.

Be happy.

Dr. Baehren lives in Ottawa Hills, Ohio. He practices emergency medicine and is an assistant professor at the University of Toledo (Ohio) Medical Center. Your feedback is welcome at David.Baehren@utoledo.edu.