ASQ Section 0511 April 2026 Meeting Announcement

Wednesday, 8 April 2026

Emergency Department Logistics
Or
Why did that take so long?
Or
Why did that cost so much?

Andrew Meister

Trauma Room

presented by Dr Andrew Meister

Short Description:

Emergency departments are complex systems that are currently under immense strain. Because of system dysfunction, patients often experience long waits, high costs, and suboptimal service. Staff frequently experience burn-out. This presentation will examine the logistical challenges that EDs face.

Together, we will simulate patient flow in a typical day in an emergency department. In doing so, we will identify some of the obstructions to efficient patient movement, better understand the difficult decisions that physicians and nurses make in allocating resources, and see countermeasures that are taken to mitigate our challenges.

Attending this 1.5-hour meeting will grant you 0.15 RU.

Speaker Background

Dr. Andrew Meister, MD, is an emergency medicine physician with 20 years of clinical experience. He currently practices at an emergency department in suburban Minneapolis.

Optional Preparatory Review (OPR)

The OPR is an educational add-on to the main Meeting that you may complete if you so choose.

This OPR requires watching three (3) videos for approximately 32 minutes total.

Completing and certifying its completion grants you an additional 0.05 RU credits on top of the RU credit you will earn by attending the 4/8/2026 Meeting, for a total of up to 0.2 RU!

How to complete and certify the completion of the OPR

1. Watch ALL the videos:

(1) Understanding the Emergency Room Journey at Nicklaus Children’s — 9 minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qtvRUfs_88&t=22s

(2) Your Care Team— 10 minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZYjvQhYLcU

(3) 24 Hours in the ER: Health care's front lines — 13 minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5iewcBt4RI&t=2s

Disclaimer: ASQ Section 0511 is not affiliated with, nor does it endorse, any third-party websites, products, or services that may be linked or mentioned in the above videos.

2. Click the “Register Now” button at the upper right corner of the Memberplanet registration page (see link below). Choose “1” (ticket quantity). Enter your name and email on the next page. Please enter the proper name to support RU issuance. At the bottom of the page, check “I certify that I have completed all three activities (32 minutes total of videos related to the Emergency Room) for 0.05 RU.” Then Click “Submit”.

[Important]

(1) The submission must be completed BEFORE the Meeting by 7:00PM, 4/8/2026 (enforced by the Ticket Sales Ending Time in Memberplanet).

(2) If you have not checked the box on the “Ticket” at the time of registration, Section 0511 will not record the additional RU credits for you.

3. Attend the April 2026 ASQ 0511 Member Meeting (which itself grants you RU). This is the prerequisite to earn the add-on RUs. If you do not attend the Meeting, you will forfeit your claim for the add-on RU, even if you certified for completing the video.

4. Be willing to use your knowledge of the OPR materials during the Meeting.

Memberplanet OPR Registration link (registration closes on 4/8/2026 at 7pm): https://mp.gg/zhyepgt

Dr Meister's Recommended Additional Background Articles and Links

From The NY Times April 14, 2025: ‘The Pitt’ Captures the Real Overcrowding Crisis in E.R.s. From the “chairs” to the hallway medicine, the show’s depiction of an emergency medicine system that is beyond capacity rings true for medical experts.
The American College of Emergency Physicians has a full website about the issue
This article from Health Affairs has a nice introduction to the problem and demonstrates the difficulty of using metrics to make improvements
And finally, an article from the Annals of Emergency Medicine that examines the financial cost of ED boarding. Its introduction is also good for showing the scope of the problem and its citations are a good review of the literature thus far.

Webinar Link / Meeting Instructions:

7:00pm — 8:30pm – Section Meeting Information
Joining by a direct link:
Meeting link: https://asq.webex.com/asq/j.php?MTID=md7b51d35a3b8efcb35d04e7efb115ad1
Joining by meeting information (requires entering the password):
Web address: https://asq.webex.com/asq
Meeting number: 2556 788 1959
Password: MnNJGYiP686
Joining by phone (you will have to identify yourself by name when you have joined):
Phone number: 1-408-792-6300 Call-in number (US/Canada)
Access code: 2556 788 1959

6:00pm — 7:00pm – Section Leadership Committee meeting
Joining by a direct link:
Meeting link: https://asq.webex.com/asq/j.php?MTID=mf9eacfe383eb679d2189a2bc3466debf
Joining by meeting information (requires entering the password):
Web address: https://asq.webex.com/asq
Meeting number: 2558 731 5440
Password: vcXvNJjF372
Joining by phone (you will have to identify yourself by name when you have joined):
Phone number: 1-408-792-6300 Call-in number (US/Canada)
Access code: 2558 731 5440

Reservations:

There is no charge to attend. To register, please use our on line reservation form which can be used up to the day of the meeting. If your plans change, please contact dba26@asq0511.org, and let us know.

Next Meeting:

17 May 2026 — Ranger Outing: Green Spring Gardens, Lincolnia, VA

Call for Speakers!!!

Would you or someone you know like to speak at a future ASQ meeting? We're always looking for volunteers. Be creative! Exercise your public presentation skills! Earn recertification credits! Get a free dinner! Please contact programs26@asq0511.org.

About Us:

ASQ Section 0511 is a geographic community in Northern Virginia that lives intertwined with the network of ASQ Divisions and technical communities specializing in specific quality domains and supporting ASQ Certifications in their domains. Its members have tremendous cumulative experience across multiple industries, companies, and government agencies. Any single one of you in our ASQ Section is a formidable source of takes, opinions, and lessons on a number of Quality Matters.