There was a trend of full waiting rooms in the 1970s and 1980s. People were walking out because they had to wait so long. Dr. Tom saw that the situation could be improved by getting patients seen by providers during triage. This way, evaluation could start even when beds weren’t available. The protocol significantly reduced the time it takes to see patients in the emergency department, from 3.5 hours to 20 minutes!

It took an organization-wide effort to support this new protocol. One of our medical directors at the time, Mike Sequeira, MD, was an early adopter who encouraged every one of his sites to put the process in place. He began talking with emergency departments all over the country. Since then, RME has been adopted as a best practice across the industry.

MT: A mini-revolution!

JS: Definitely impressive. And, while I’ve retired from emergency medicine, I look forward to its future as I know there are more great things to come.

MT: Yes, new models that incorporate technology and subspecialists are continuing to improve patients’ access to critical services. ACEP’s former president-elect, John Rogers, MD, recently mentioned stabilization units, such as Vituity’s EmPath units, as a hopeful development in the treatment of psychiatric patients. Telepsychiatry in the emergency department is also helping patients get the evaluations and treatment they need right away. Likewise, with teleneurology, even rural emergency departments have access to neuroology consults, and we all know that timely intervention saves lives when it comes to stroke.

Emergency medicine really is improving the quality of lives across the country.