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Canton-Potsdam Hospital opens new five-bed observation unit

Posted 11/11/14

POTSDAM -- Canton-Potsdam Hospital has opened a new five-bed observation unit for patients with chest pain, kidney stones, syncope, asthma, dehydration, and minor infections. The unit is used for …

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Canton-Potsdam Hospital opens new five-bed observation unit

Posted

POTSDAM -- Canton-Potsdam Hospital has opened a new five-bed observation unit for patients with chest pain, kidney stones, syncope, asthma, dehydration, and minor infections.

The unit is used for short-term treatment and evaluation of between eight and 24 hours. Placement in the observation unit is made by order of a patient’s primary care provider or one of CPH’s emergency medicine providers, according to a press release from Canton-Potsdam Hospital.

Observation units are becoming more common in hospitals across the US.

As emergency rooms encounter patients whose conditions call for close monitoring that falls short of the need for a full inpatient stay, observation units have filled the void.

“Since January of 2014, our emergency department has had more than 18,000 patient visits; 8% of those were identified as observation cases and remained within the ED or were moved to one of the medical/surgical floors for 24 or 48 hour monitoring,” said Marie Martin, RN, Chief Nursing Officer. “The observation unit was created to help alleviate congestion within the emergency department and free up rooms for trauma patients and accident victims.”

“The unit is staffed with a core group of nurses and medical providers whose goal is to monitor, diagnose, and treat patients as efficiently as possible,” said Debra Marques-Seaman, RN, Observation Nurse Director.

Patients that stay in the observation unit are not admitted by inpatient services unless their provider deems it necessary. Most insurance companies will recognize the visit as outpatient.

Info: www.cphospital.org or call 265-3300.