Joanna Omi, Corporate Planning and HIV Services, New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, 125 Worth Street, New York City, NY 10013, 212-788-3613, joanna.omi@nychhc.org

The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation implemented the Ambulatory Care Restructuring Initiative, an ambitious 3-three year effort, in June 2002. The primary goal of ACRI is to provide the majority of this public health care system’s 5 million annual outpatient visits in 60 minutes or less. To date, 51 teams have participated in ACRI collaboratives to design, test and implement the operational change strategies that will slash non-value added time from visits that previously took up to two hours. Two years into the initiative, HHC has learned much and has modified its approach in order to ensure short and long term successes.

Learning Objectives:

• To understand how the largest municipal hospital system in the country undertook an effort to radically change patients’ ambulatory care experience and to explore mid-term outcomes and lessons learned.

Keywords: Access and Services, Health Care Access

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.