The Hospital Corporation of America North Texas Division and First Choice Emergency Room Create Quality Alliance
<0> First Choice Emergency RoomClaire Gibson, 972-899-6103 </0>
TheHospital Corporation of America North Texas Division (HCA) and First Choice Emergency Room, the largest and oldest freestanding emergency room system, today announced an innovative agreement to support the growing demand for emergency department access and services in North Texas. The new Hospital and Emergency Care Alliance was formed to improve patient continuity of care through multiple access points for emergency services within the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. The Alliance will expedite hospital transfers and ensure a continuum of care for patients from First Choice ER to HCA’s area facilities, as well as create a joint quality assurance process and team.
“Our joint efforts in the Alliance will continue to assure outstanding levels of quality and patient safety, while at the same time enhancing access for North Texas communities and patients that HCA and First Choice Emergency Room serve,” stated James Scoggin, Jr., President, HCA North Texas Division.
HCA and First Choice ER have formed a cooperative Joint Quality Assurance (QA) Team to collaborate and support ongoing quality assurance programs related to the transfer of patients between facilities. The Joint QA Team will facilitate and lead organizational efforts to maintain quality and regulatory compliance standards for all entities including quality metrics in accordance with national benchmarks for emergency services, as well as any new measurements established for freestanding emergency departments.
The exclusive agreement assures bed availability for patients needing acute care services provided by the HCA network of hospitals to ensure the seamless transfer of patients from First Choice ER to a nearby HCA facility. Patients transferring from First Choice ER will avoid the hospital’s emergency department when non-emergent criteria are met and receive direct admission.
“We are excited to enhance our emergency patient care through our alliance with HCA,” added Thomas S. Hall, President and CEO of First Choice Emergency Room. “First Choice Emergency Room facilities provide 24 hour access to patients seeking emergency care. This exclusive collaboration gives our patients direct access to HCA’s 5,000 physicians and 11 local hospitals.” First Choice ER will have access to the HCA Transfer Center, a 24-7 call center to coordinate appropriate patient transfers for hospital admission. The Transfer Center provides access to dedicated, highly trained and experienced teams including high risk obstetrical care, neonatal intensive care, and pediatrics. First Choice ER’s access to the HCA Transfer Center will facilitate physician-to-physician conversations and subsequent communication with the accepting hospital to optimize patient care.
Now in its 10 year of operation, First Choice Emergency Room’s Flower Mound facility opened its doors on December 15, 2002. The local community responded so positively to freestanding emergency care that the location moved to a larger facility earlier this year to accommodate growth. First Choice ER has expanded to 17 facilities in Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Austin and Colorado Springs.
First Choice ER facilities are staffed exclusively with board-certified emergency physicians and emergency trained registered nurses. The facilities are equipped with state of the art diagnostic technology, including CT Scanners, Digital X-Rays and Ultrasounds, as well as COLA & CLIA accredited labs to handle emergency needs on the spot.
For more information about First Choice Emergency Room, please visit FCER.com.
HCA North Texas Division () is one of the region’s largest, most comprehensive healthcare providers with 10 hospitals, one Children’s Hospital, one Psychiatric Hospital, 12 ambulatory surgery centers, 13 Imaging Centers, and two Freestanding Emergency Rooms in DFW and the surrounding areas. Building on the foundation provided by our Mission & Values, HCA puts patients first and works to constantly improve the care we give them by implementing measures that support our caregivers, help ensure patient safety and provide the highest possible quality. The HCA North Texas family of hospitals includes:
Denton Regional Medical Center
Green Oaks Hospital
Las Colinas Medical Center
Medical Center of Arlington
Medical Center of Lewisville
Medical Center of McKinney
Medical Center of Plano
Medical City Dallas Hospital
Medical City Children’s Hospital
North Hills Hospital
Plaza Medical Center of Fort Worth
First Choice Emergency Room () is the nation’s leading freestanding emergency room system; it is both largest and the oldest. First Choice Emergency Room is revolutionizing the delivery of emergency medical services for adult and pediatric emergencies, both major and minor. First Choice Emergency Room facilities are innovative, freestanding, and fully equipped emergency rooms with state of the art diagnostic technology (CT Scanners, Ultrasound, Digital X-ray) and on-site labs. First Choice Emergency Room was named one of the 2013 Best Companies to Work for in Texas. All First Choice Emergency Room locations are exclusively staffed with board-certified emergency physicians and emergency trained registered nurses. First Choice Emergency Room has nine locations in the Houston area, five in the Dallas/Ft Worth area, two in the Austin area and one in Colorado Springs.