Using Queuing Theory to Reduce Wait, Stay in Emergency Department

ABSTRACT: Thanks to the application of a well-defined Lean Six Sigma methodology to ensure sustainable process improvement, a queuing model at Lehigh Valley Health Network aligned emergency department staffing with patient-arrival demand — without increasing overall resource hours. It trimmed length of stay by as much as 20 percent and reduced walkouts by 58 percent, and the success is being replicated broadly across the network’s emergency departments