Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, is one of the nation’s largest nonprofit academic medical centers, and effective patient flow is a daily imperative. Heidi High, NE-BC, FACHE, executive director, Capacity Management, and her team in the Capacity Command Center are dedicated to ensuring every patient receives the right care, in the right place, at the right time—every single day.
Managing throughput and optimizing capacity at this scale is no easy task. Yet over the past few years Cedars-Sinai has achieved measurable improvements in discharge velocity and bed utilization, integrating advanced technology with strong operational leadership and cultural transformation.
Aligning Innovation With Communication
A cornerstone of Cedars-Sinai’s patient throughput undertakings is its ability to align teams around a single, transparent source of data. “Because the data is centralized and objective, it allows us to have shared visibility and speak the same language,” says High. “This common understanding enables more open and productive discussions about patient progression and operational priorities.”
The process to achieve success for the health system began six years ago with the launch of structured, daily interdisciplinary bed huddles. During these brief but focused meetings, clinical and operational teams review real-time patient data, identify who is ready for discharge and collaborate on resolving barriers. A key enabler of this process is LeanTaaS’ iQueue for Inpatient Flow, a capacity management platform that uses predictive AI algorithms to forecast admissions, discharges and overall bed demand.
Contrasting this approach with past practices, High says, “Years ago when there were 20 or more patients in the ED waiting for beds, a CNO would gather everyone in a conference room to discuss next steps. But the paper lists provided were already outdated. There was no consistent data source, leading to conflicting information and priorities. We’d leave those meetings with marching orders, but without alignment.”
Now, empowered by shared data and predictive tools, the team can proactively manage discharges and optimize patient placement in near real time.
Enhancing Outcomes and Patient Experience
These operational and technological enhancements have led to improvements in key metrics. Cedars-Sinai has seen early reductions both in ED boarding times and in the number of patients leaving the ED without being seen—two metrics strongly correlated with clinical outcomes.
“Any time a patient is waiting unnecessarily in the ED, their risk of a poor outcome increases,” says High. “We’ve seen progress in both of those areas.”
One approach that solves patients waiting in the ED is routing them to a departure lounge. Some may assume this strategy could negatively impact the patient experience. However, early findings suggest otherwise. In fact, preliminary reports indicate a slight improvement in satisfaction among patients who spend time in the lounge. The space offers a safe, comfortable environment for patients who have been medically cleared for discharge to wait for medications or transportation, helping to free up inpatient beds more efficiently.
Support services staff have also responded well. Key collaborators, such as pharmacy, imaging, dialysis, echo and therapy, now access the same patient discharge data as clinical teams, allowing them to better prioritize workflows and support timely discharges.
“Our focus is on improving discharge velocity,” High explains. “The more stakeholders using the system and communicating through it, the faster we can move patients efficiently and safely.”
Within just months of implementing LeanTaaS’ platform and process enhancements, Cedars-Sinai recorded a nearly 200% increase in the average number of patients sent to the departure lounge. Over the past year, the time from discharge order to actual discharge has improved by 10%.
High recommends focusing on four components for effective patient flow.
- The Role of Leadership and Culture—While technology has been a vital driver of change, High emphasizes that cultural transformation and leadership consistency are just as essential.
- Consistency and Accountability—To build a culture of accountability, High stresses the importance of consistent leadership communication and follow-through. “If leaders aren’t aligned and consistent in their messaging and actions, staff won’t know where to focus,” she notes.
- Human-Centered Leadership—Technology may drive efficiency, but it’s human connection that sustains engagement. High credits unit-based leadership for cultivating a positive, proactive culture. Leaders mentor staff, celebrate wins and make the work enjoyable.
One creative example: A unit leader designed a poster with team members’ photos, roles and responsibilities—styled like comic book superheroes. The playful tool helps build camaraderie around the hard work.
Another unit created a “flow tree” poster. Each time a patient is sent to the departure lounge, a leaf is added. “When it’s full, it’s a beautiful tree,” says High. “It’s a fun, visible way to celebrate our progress.”
Even the AI model got a human touch. “We gave the algorithm a name—‘Alex’—and now everyone refers to it that way. Humanizing AI helped build trust and familiarity,” High explains. - Peer Collaboration—High also underscores the importance of learning from others. “Connecting with peers through organizations like ACHE and the American Hospital Association’s new Hospital Capacity Management Consortium has been incredibly valuable. Sharing ideas and problem-solving collectively helps us all tackle these complex challenges.”
Cedars-Sinai’s success illustrates the power of aligning data, technology and people to deliver high-quality, efficient care. Through proactive planning, transparent communication and a strong operational culture, the organization is setting a standard for what modern patient flow management can achieve.
For more information, please contact Kate Soden, communications director, LeanTaaS, at kate.s@leantaas.com.