“Leading Change, Delivering Excellence: The Emergency Care Transformation Journey” is a multi-year value-based transformation initiative implemented at Jubail General Hospital (Saudi Arabia) within the Eastern Health Cluster. The initiative was launched to address systemic overcrowding, prolonged waiting times, and inefficient resource utilization caused by high volumes of non-urgent cases and fragmented emergency workflows.
Beginning in 2022, the initiative first relieved emergency department (ED) burden by activating Urgent Care Centers, reducing CTAS 4 & 5 visits from 61% to 18.4%. Building on this success, the program expanded into a comprehensive redesign of the emergency care cycle, including the Rapid Assessment Zone (RAZ), digital workflow integration (MCC system), point-of-care testing, tele-stroke services, trauma code standardization, advanced pain management protocols, and laboratory optimization.
Measurable results demonstrate superior patient value. The percentage of patients managed within four hours increased from 88% to ≥99%, exceeding national benchmarks. Patient experience scores improved from 59.7 to 76.3 within six months. Stroke door-to-needle time decreased to under one hour, thrombolysis rates increased to 44%, and sickle cell disease admission rates declined following opioid-sparing pain protocols. Laboratory turnaround time improved from 72.5% to 91%, while estimated cost avoidance through RAZ bed substitution reached SAR 1.5 million.
The initiative integrates multidisciplinary teams organized around emergency pathways, supported by real-time dashboards, structured governance, and continuous learning cycles. It incorporates patient engagement through QR-based discharge education, feedback systems, and shared decision-making processes.
This model represents a scalable, network-aligned emergency care transformation that improves health outcomes while reducing avoidable costs across the full cycle of acute care delivery.