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Metrics: CarolinaEast Medical Center

Case Studies

Hospital Information

Facility: CarolinaEast Medical Center in New Bern, NC

TeamHealth Services: Orthopedic and General Surgery Hospitalist

Challenge

CarolinaEast Medical Center is a 350-bed hospital located in New Bern, North Carolina. Several years ago the hospital faced challenges with its emergency call coverage for orthopedic patients. The local orthopedic physicians, while strong partners with the hospital, did not have enough physicians to take calls to provide the hospital with 24/7 coverage while maintaining their private practices. CarolinaEast turned to the experts at Delphi of TeamHealth, who ultimately worked with the hospital and the orthopedic physicians to design a hospitalist program that benefits all parties.

Solution

Under the program, Delphi of TeamHealth provides orthopedic hospitalists to deliver comprehensive acute care services and outpatient follow up for patients who come to the hospital Emergency Department. Several of the local surgeons are engaged by Delphi of TeamHealth, allowing them to provide occasional hospital weekend coverage. This allows for the private physicians to focus on their office-based practice so they can see more patients, which generate elective surgeries, while providing the opportunity for exposure to acute surgery on the weekends. The hospital benefits from having around-the-clock call coverage, as well as the additional surgical cases generated by the thriving local practice.

Results

Over the course of the more than seven years of partnership with Delphi of TeamHealth, CarolinaEast has seen orthopedic surgery cases increase by nearly 1,500 cases per year, thanks to the effectiveness of the model. Additionally, TeamHealth’s surgeons enjoy an extremely collegial relationship with the local orthopedic surgeons, which allows all physicians to rely on one another to ensure every patient gets appropriate, timely treatment, regardless of whom handles the case. As one physician stated, “You know any patient who comes in the door will get the care they need without political shenanigans.”

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