Case Study: Avera Health reduces non-emergent ED visits with MEDITECH

MEDITECH's EHR Steers Avera McKennan ED Nurse Navigator Program to $475,000 Annual Savings

Avera Health, through Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center, needed a better way to manage emergency department “super utilizers” who were repeatedly using the ED for non-emergent care. Working with MEDITECH and its EHR, the health system set out to improve care coordination, reduce avoidable visits, and better connect these patients to appropriate outpatient and community resources.

MEDITECH helped Avera automate a nurse navigator care management program that tracked patients electronically, triggered alerts, and embedded ED care plans into the workflow. The results were significant: ED visits by enrolled patients dropped 75%, annual care costs decreased by $475,000, overall non-emergent ED visits fell 13.7%, and follow-up compliance reached 68%, far above typical Magnet hospital benchmarks.

Avera Health