Extensive Care Center: A Novel Approach to Reducing Emergency Department Visits and Observation Unit Utilization

Arthur Palmer, MD, (Medical Director, Central Ohio Primary Care Same Day Centers) is part of the largest independent primary care group in the United States, Central Ohio Primary Care (COPC). COPC is continually innovating ways to provide physician directed value based primary care.

In 2018, COPC created the Extensive Care Center (ECC) as an outpatient alternative to Emergency Departments and hospital observation units.

In this session participants will understand:

• Why the ECC was originally created
• How services were initially designed and evolution over the last 5 years
• How the ECC has been integrated into multiple existing COPC Same Day Centers (scheduled urgent care centers)
• The benefits to patients and COPC providers
• Challenges in providing care
• Lessons learned about the role of provider and staff culture when creating new care models