A Study to Determine the Utilization Demographics of the Emergency Room at Martin Army Community Hospital, Fort Benning, Georgia

Today's military hospital is challenged to increase its efficiency while improving access. The challenge is to provide care to more people and do it in the most efficient manner possible. Several military health care initiatives are planned, or in some cases have been recently implemented, to meet this challenge. According to the Patient Administration Division, Martin Army Community Hospital (MACH) in FY 1986 there was a total of 85,318 outpatient visits to the MACH Outpatient Clinic (OPC) and Emergency room (ER). ER visits accounted for 54,792 or 64% of the total ER and OPC outpatient visits counted. Through July FY 87, there were 68,501 OPC and ER visits counted. During this time, ER visits accounted for 44,996 or 66% of the total visits counted. According to these figures, the reported FY 87 ER utilization was higher than the FY 86 utilization even though the FY 87 utilization data represented only nine months. Higher ER utilization rates' translate to greater consumption of costly ER resources. Are these increases consistent with a true ER need? In an environment of ever increasing resource constraints, health care planners must examine their organizations to determine how resources are being consumed. Outpatient clinic, Demographics of emergency rooms, Space utilization.