A regional health system with 4 hospitals was experiencing rising non-emergent ER utilization, particularly during after-hours periods. Without a structured triage pathway, patients defaulted to the ER for symptoms that could have been managed by next-day appointments, urgent care, or self-care guidance. This drove up costs, increased wait times for true emergencies, and negatively impacted patient satisfaction scores.

Guideway Care deployed a 24/7/365 Nurse Triage program staffed by licensed RNs using gold-standard Schmitt-Thompson protocols. Every after-hours call was clinically assessed and directed to the appropriate level of care. Our Activation Care Guides followed up with patients to ensure they completed the recommended next step — whether that was scheduling a next-day appointment or confirming they arrived at urgent care.

Within 6 months, the system saw a 30% reduction in non-emergent ER visits during after-hours periods. HCAHPS scores improved by 76%, driven largely by the after-hours access dimension. The program generated approximately $1M in net savings over the first 3 years through avoided ER costs, improved patient retention, and reduced readmissions.