ED case managers save $4.5 million.

Emergency department case managers at Lee Memorial Health System in Fort Myers, FL saved more than $4.5 million by ensuring that patients were in the right status and transferring patients who did not meet admission criteria to a more appropriate level of care. Case managers and social workers cover the emergency department at peak hours, seven days a week. Case managers screen patients for admission criteria and make sure admission orders are complete and correct. Case managers and social workers coordinate community services and placement for patients who don't meet admission criteria. Social workers intervene when there are concerns about abuse and neglect, and they facilitate placement to other acute care facilities.