Case Study: Florida Hospital Orlando achieves 200+ avoided inappropriate ED admissions and nearly $500K in savings with Optum InterQual

A Collaborative Approach in the ED Reduces Inappropriate Admissions

Florida Hospital Orlando, a 1,217‑bed acute‑care hospital in the Adventist Health System, was experiencing a persistently busy Emergency Department and was regularly 5–10% overcapacity in inpatient care. To improve ED decision‑making and reduce inappropriate admissions, the hospital partnered with Optum and used Optum’s InterQual® Acute and InterQual® Imaging Criteria to introduce evidence‑based level‑of‑care reviews.

Optum supported two pilots that combined observation‑stay workflows and real‑time collaborative case management using InterQual criteria. The pilots avoided more than 200 inappropriate admissions, saved an estimated nearly $500K in bed‑day costs (e.g., a 4‑week “Sta‑Obz” pilot saved ~255.5 bed days and ~$204K, and a 15‑week pilot saved ~343 bed days and ~$274K), and produced very low readmission rates; retrospective InterQual audits confirmed the appropriateness of care and the hospital has funded program expansion.

Florida Hospital Orlando

Eugene Truchelut

Medical Director