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At Dominican Hospital, the health and safety of our community are our highest priorities, and we are dedicated to addressing the challenges we face. Current pressures in our emergency room reflect broader trends in health care, including increased demand for services and staffing shortages affecting hospitals nationwide.
To tackle these issues, we’ve hired 297 new nurses in the past two years and launched a nurse residency program to train future health care professionals. We’ve also partnered with Morehouse School of Medicine to establish a new graduate medical education (GME) program, which includes eight residents, enhancing primary care capacity and helping to reduce unnecessary emergency department visits.
As a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) four-star hospital, we focus on minimizing diversion hours, averaging just 15 hours a month — to ensure timely care for our patients. Additionally, with a “B” Leapfrog grade, we are recognized for our solid performance in safety and quality of care.
Our dedicated staff is committed to providing exceptional service while adhering to regulations and enhancing patient flow.
As we seek new ways to support our community, it’s important to recognize the need for services outside of the hospital; nursing homes, homeless shelters, mental health services, and other resources. A lack of these community resources directly impacts our hospital’s ability to provide timely care. Addressing these needs will help ease the pressures in the emergency room and ensure we are always available for those seeking care.
Sandy Doucette
Dominican Hospital spokesperson