Becker’s Healthcare Podcast Advancing Patient Flow and Clinical Excellence at Atlantic Health System with Dr. Geralda Xavier
Mar 1, 2026
Dr. Geralda Xavier, a board-certified emergency physician and regional chief medical officer at Atlantic Health System, leads clinical strategy, quality, and patient safety. She discusses reducing length of stay and improving patient throughput. She describes multidisciplinary flow committees, redesigned daily rounds, lean handoffs from ED to bed, and efforts to balance financial pressures with workforce well-being.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Create A Multidisciplinary Flow Committee
- Do create a multidisciplinary capacity management committee to own patient flow.
- Geralda Xavier convened nurses, physicians, transport, bed management and ancillary services to share accountability and reduce delays.
Patient Flow Is A Safety Imperative
- Patient flow is a safety and quality imperative, not just an operations problem.
- Xavier notes delays in movement increase risk, worsen transitions, and harm patient and staff experience, linking flow to overall care reliability.
Optimize Observation Status Early
- Do optimize observation-level care and early status designation to shorten stays.
- Xavier partnered physicians, physician advisors and case management to cut observation LOS from 36–48 hours to under 30 hours.