4 Factors Driving Hospital Satellite Emergency Department Development

July 05, 2011

08:48 AM

The satellite emergency department market is doing well, and from what I have seen, as attractive to patients as hospitals looking to implement them. Satellite emergency clinics are much what they sound like: a remote facility, often time located off campus from the hospital, which perform very similar types of services as a hospital emergency room. The areas which satellite emergency departments receive the most notoriety for are little to no time wait time, hours of operation, improved access to care and decreased ambulance diversions, which overall can have a very positive effect on hospitals financial gains.

4 Factors Driving Demand

No Wait Time:

Satellite emergency departments are confident in their ability to say that they have virtually no wait time. Upon arrival patients are treated immediately. Swedish Health Services’ Issaquah, Washington satellite emergency room in and out times average 80 minutes. This is a great benefit for every patient, especially those with minor symptoms who require less treatment and might end up waiting considerably at hospital emergency departments.

Hours of Operation:

Unlike urgent care centers which can only treat minor symptoms and are closed at night, satellite emergency departments work around the clock to provide care. They are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week providing similar if not the same capabilities as a fully staffed hospital emergency department. This amenity coupled with low wait time makes satellite emergency departments an attractive treatment center for those in need.

Heightened Access to Care:

Opposed to driving to a hospital emergency department for emergency care, satellite emergency departments can be situated in more convenient locations, whether rural or urban. This comfort of such close care is reassuring and one that will make the satellite emergency departments a continual source for immediate treatment.

Decreased Ambulance Diversion:

Ambulance diversion occurs when hospital emergency departments can not see additional patients and as a result patients who need immediate attention must seek treatment elsewhere. Satellite emergency departments are a boon because they ease the already overburdened hospital, giving ambulances a place to take patients needing urgent care.

As patients continue to seek convenient locations, low wait times, and enhanced access to care, along with lower operating costs than a traditional hospital emergency department and an aging population, satellite emergency department implementation by health systems will continue to grow as well.

For further information see my article on 2 Hospital Facility Trends to Ease ER Overcrowding.

James Ellis, CEO, Health Care Realty Development Company, is a nationally recognized successful real estate investor and developer of medical office properties with a comprehensive knowledge of sophisticated real estate transactions, cost effective designs, and efficient property management.