Download as PDF

Immediate Collaboration, Lasting Results

Background

Methodist South Hospital is a 156-bed, community-based acute care hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, with a long-standing reputation for delivering high-quality care. For more than five decades, the hospital has served its community with a strong commitment to clinical excellence, including designation as a Primary Stroke Center and recognition as a U.S. News & World Report Best Regional Hospital (2023–2024).

Serving approximately 40,000 emergency department visits annually through its 35-bed ED, Methodist South faced growing patient experience challenges, including historically high left-without-being-seen (LWBS) rates nearing 20%, creating an urgent need for operational improvement and patient flow optimization.

Exterior view of a modern hospital building with brick facade, glass entrance, and wood-paneled overhang, photographed at dusk with a blue sky Exterior view of a modern hospital building with brick facade, glass entrance, and wood-paneled overhang, photographed at dusk with a blue sky

The Challenge

With a longstanding dedication to upholding medical excellence, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare acknowledges the potential for improving the patient emergency department experience. By prioritizing the reduction of length of stay and the decrease in patients leaving without being seen, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare has embarked on a journey to enhance the quality of care.

Through a collaborative effort with ApolloMD’s team, they are reimagining emergency care and swiftly implementing proven strategies that focus on patient flow, staffing, process improvement, and outcomes. Seeking a partner that can deliver immediate results, they have achieved significant success at Methodist South Hospital in just ninety days.

The Approach

The ApolloMD transition team focused on a smooth transition, seamless operations, info-rich communications, and continuous clinical improvement.

Strategies included:

list item bullet icon Retention of high performing clinical experts
list item bullet icon Recruitment of key talent and reduction in locums usage
list item bullet icon Support and resources of ApolloMD experts
list item bullet icon Front-end process improvement
list item bullet icon “Right Care, Right Provider” staffing model
list item bullet icon Patient Experience boot camp
list item bullet icon “Performance-based” incentive structure focusing on quality outcomes
list item bullet icon Quarterly patient experience scorecards
Graphic with two testimonials: a 5-star patient review praising a friendly ER experience, and a quote from Richard T. Benson, MD, FACEP, ApolloMD Regional Vice President, about improving patient care through triage Graphic with two testimonials: a 5-star patient review praising a friendly ER experience, and a quote from Richard T. Benson, MD, FACEP, ApolloMD Regional Vice President, about improving patient care through triage

The Result

The Methodist South Hospital Emergency Department saw remarkable outcomes within a mere 120-day period after transitioning to ApolloMD.

Immediate wins include:

list item bullet icon 6.6% Increase ED Volume
list item bullet icon 58% Decrease Arrival to Medical Screening Evaluation Time
list item bullet icon 81% Decrease Boarding Hours
list item bullet icon 70% Decrease Left Without Being Seen (reduced to 5.6%)
Line chart showing Methodist South Hospital's Left Without Being Seen (LWBS) rate dropping from 20.00% in January to 13.20% in February, 5.90% in March, and 5.60% in April Line chart showing Methodist South Hospital's Left Without Being Seen (LWBS) rate dropping from 20.00% in January to 13.20% in February, 5.90% in March, and 5.60% in April