Now Open! BWFH's Emergency Department Observation Unit

As part of its Emergency Department expansion plan, Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital recently celebrated the grand opening of its Emergency Department Observation Unit with a ceremonial ribbon cutting.

The 12-bed unit, located on the fifth floor of the main building, features all-private rooms in a two 6-bed pod configuration serving patients assigned to observation by the attending physician after initial evaluation and management in the Emergency Department. The unit serves patients who need just a little more time in the ED, but don’t need to be admitted as an inpatient. These may include patients with abdominal pain, asthma/COPD, atrial fibrillation, back pain, cellulitis, chest pain, dehydration, diabetic problems, flank pain, GI bleed, headache, metabolic derangement, neurologic complaints, pneumonia and syncope, among others.

“Caring for patients in a dedicated ED observation unit will allow our emergency medicine physicians and physician assistants, as well as our emergency medicine nursing staff to provide continuity of care from the patient’s arrival at the ED to their discharge for those requiring that extra time to address their medical conditions,” explains Luis Lobón, MD, MS, FACEP, Vice Chair of Emergency Medicine  for Brigham Health and Chief of Emergency Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital. “It will also ensure more efficient and timely access to inpatient beds by increasing virtual capacity.”

In the new ED Observation Unit, patients will receive regular clinical rounding by emergency medicine and nursing specialists, medication administration, diagnostic testing, care coordination and social worker support, as well as Brigham Health consultation services when needed.

“Emergency Department Observation Units have been in place for many years and obtaining excellent patient care results with high quality and patient satisfaction outcomes,” says Dr. Lobón. “Most of these units have been located in academic medical center Emergency Departments. Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital’s Emergency Department is excited to bring this new service to our patients in their community as part of the overall expansion, care redesign and innovation projects in our department.”