In-house 'access center' relieves ED bed burden.

A separate "Access Center," with its own staff, can handle several tasks that might otherwise be done by ED staff, thereby freeing more of their time to treat patients. Direct admits are handled by the center immediately, so those patients never are seen by the ED. ED staff phone calls to primary care physicians to discuss unscheduled admissions are totally eliminated. ED manager says a significant amount of pressure is taken off her supervisors.