Acute Care of the Future: How Health Systems Should Position Themselves and How Geisinger is Getting Ahead
AVIA
Transforming Acute Care to Enhance Operations and Elevate Patient Outcomes
As healthcare faces unprecedented workforce constraints and rising demands for quality, health systems are turning to digital solutions to reshape acute care.
In collaboration with health systems nationwide, AVIA is redefining the future of acute care by evaluating infrastructures, reimagining care models, and streamlining workflows.
With our expertise, we bring actionable insights to advance acute care—spanning from smart rooms and virtual nursing to centralized care centers—while equipping leaders with value measurement models that showcase ROI and secure necessary investments.
AVIA congregated over 30 health systems at our Acute Care of the Future symposium to accelerate collective planning of acute care. We examined the intersection of advanced technology and innovative care strategies, with rich dialogue to tackle this huge effort revealing five crucial insights for sustainable, high-impact transformation:
1
Strategy First
Secure executive buy-in, ensuring strategies tackle critical issues like access, throughput, and care team burnout
2
Empower Clinicians
Leverage smart room technology and workflow orchestration to allow clinicians to practice at the top of their licenses
3
Showcase Quick Wins
Use virtual sitting and fall prevention as early indicators of ROI, paving the way for lasting outcomes (e.g., reduced readmissions, increased retention)
4
Scale via Virtual Care Centers
Unify virtual care through a common governance model to achieve operational efficiency
5
Co-Design with Frontline Staff
Foster innovation through active listening, co-design sessions, and clear communication for better adoption
AVIA supports health systems in all areas, from planning to execution, to accelerate results and drive towards the Acute Care of the Future. Many of our Members are using smart room technologies, creating virtual nursing programs, and planning for centralized virtual care centers.
AVIA Virtual Nursing Navigator
A Strategic Guide to Fast-Tracking Virtual Nursing Programs
With a 34% growth in virtual nursing programs since 2022, scaling these initiatives has become essential—and challenging. Many AVIA Members struggle to advance from pilot programs to fully integrated, enterprise-level solutions, facing unique hurdles at each step.
To support the AVIA Network, AVIA developed the Virtual Nursing Navigator—a tailored playbook that accelerates decision-making and strategic rollout.
The Navigator equips leadership with the critical data and insights needed to make informed, impactful decisions, ensuring that your virtual nursing program is not only successful but also sustainable.
Built in collaboration with health system leaders in a sprint of about four weeks, AVIA Virtual Nursing Navigator not only accelerates virtual nursing rollout but also provides a scalable framework and governance for expanding into additional care settings, ensuring long-term success and adaptability. This work provides a customized approach to delivering care that drives results for patients, staff, and the bottom line.
Virtual Nursing Pilot in the ED
A case study of AVIA Virtual Nursing Navigator in action
A Southwest regional health system collaborated with AVIA to launch a virtual nursing program, starting with the emergency department (ED). Using AVIA’s Virtual Nursing Navigator as a guide, they developed a tailored, step-by-step roadmap to address urgent challenges in patient flow and care transitions, while laying a foundation for future expansion.
Handling over 67,000 ED visits annually, the health system prioritized the ED to pilot virtual nursing, aiming to leverage proven strategies for faster, system-wide adoption. By first aligning on strategy, they set the stage for sustainable, high-impact outcomes in acute care.
Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Regional Health System
1
ED Workflow Assessment
On-site walkthrough to identify workflow challenges and virtual nursing use cases
2
Vision & Alignment Workshop
Stakeholders aligned on current needs, a future vision, and top-priority use cases
3
Workflow Design Session
Facilitated session to finalize workflows and prepare for virtual nursing integration
Learn how AVIA’s expertise can drive growth and digital transformation in your acute care initiatives.
Discover AVIA’s Impact in Acute Care
