Case Study: Emerus achieves faster, safer patient care and operational efficiencies with Stryker (Vocera)

Emerus Uses Innovative Care Model to Improve Operational Efficiencies and Patient Experience with Vocera

Emerus operates a network of acute micro‑hospitals (including Baptist Emergency Hospitals in Texas) that deliver rapid, patient‑centric emergency care—typically seeing patients within 15 minutes instead of the multi‑hour waits of traditional ERs. To support this fast, decentralized care model, Emerus needed better internal communications and a way to decentralize telemetry alerts; overhead paging and a centralized telemetry nurse were creating noise, delays, and workflow bottlenecks.

Emerus implemented the Vocera Communication System—hands‑free badges integrated with telemetry and an escalation workflow—to replace overhead paging and route critical alarms directly to the responsible nurse (then to backup staff if needed). The solution reduced background noise, cut response times by an estimated 3–5 minutes, improved patient safety and satisfaction (complaints <0.5%), was cost‑neutral versus paging while avoiding dedicated telemetry nurse hires, and is now being rolled out to additional facilities.

Emerus

Trang Dawson

Chief Information Officer