Advanced ICU Care’s New Consulting Group Helps Hospitals Maximize Their ICU’s Performance

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Advanced ICU Care®, the nation’s largest independent tele-ICU provider, today announced it has created a new Consulting services group to help hospitals maximize the performance of their ICUs and achieve outstanding clinical, operational and financial performance.

“Studies and experience have shown significant gaps between the typical ICU and a high-performing one”

“Studies and experience have shown significant gaps between the typical ICU and a high-performing one,” said David N. Schopp, M.H.A., vice president of Advanced ICU Care Consulting. “In the typical ICU, often cutting-edge infrastructure, systems and processes are not in place and the adoption of new clinical initiatives lags, resulting in an ICU that falls short of its full potential. Advanced ICU Care Consulting exclusively focuses on ICU performance and helps hospitals to close these performance gaps.”

Advanced ICU Care Consulting offers a free online snapshot ICU Performance Analysis to help hospitals benchmark the performance level of their ICU. This five minute online survey draws from the group’s Comprehensive On-Site Performance Assessment and provides a snapshot of how the hospital’s ICU measures up based on several key elements of a high-performing ICU.

The performance level of a hospital’s intensive care unit has a dramatic impact on patient outcomes and on the hospital’s financial and operational success. Currently, ICUs account for approximately 10 percent of the beds in a hospital, yet they generate 30 percent of a hospital’s cost. ICU performance metrics are becoming even more important under pay-for-performance systems and other accountable care initiatives. An ICU’s operations not only impact the unit’s own costs and patient outcomes, but its performance ripples throughout the facility. The pressure is on for hospitals to improve the performance of their ICUs now.

The Advanced ICU Care Consulting team brings insights gained from decades of nationally recognized ICU leadership and expertise in both bedside ICU and tele-ICU environments in hospitals across the U.S. In addition to Mr. Schopp, other members of the Consulting team include: Isabelle C. Kopec, M.D., F.A.C.P., F.C.C.P., vice president of medical affairs, Advanced ICU Care; Michael J. Walter, M.D., F.C.C.P., chair, Critical Care Medicine, SSM DePaul Health Center; Dellice Dickhaus, M.D., F.C.C.P., medical director, Intensive Care Unit, Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital; and Gary Anderson, M.H.A., R.N., F.A.C.H.E., vice president of operations, Advanced ICU Care.

Using a set of rigorous, proven consulting tools and an unbiased approach, these experienced Board-certified intensivist/pulmonologist ICU medical directors, nurses and health care managers evaluate each hospital’s situation and provide a roadmap for hospitals to:

Improve clinical performance: lower ICU and hospital mortality rates and increase adherence to evidence-based best practices
Improve operations: implement safer and more efficient processes, achieve higher staff and patient satisfaction and deliver more effective management reporting
Improve financial performance: increase throughput, lower turnover costs and optimize the use of ICU resources

For more information about Advanced ICU Care Consulting or to take the free snapshot ICU Performance Analysis, go to www.icumedicine.com.

About Advanced ICU Care

Advanced ICU Care provides comprehensive tele-ICU programs and consulting services, with a proven track record of improving the clinical, financial and operational performance of its hospital partners. Our consulting team brings insights gained from decades of nationally recognized ICU leadership and expertise in both bedside ICU and tele-ICU environments. Our best-of-breed tele-ICU programs combine experienced intensivist-led care teams, sophisticated telemedicine technology and a rigorous focus on evidence-based best practices to improve patient care and safety. Advanced ICU Care is the nation’s largest independent tele-ICU provider. For more information, visit www.icumedicine.com.