Cabell Huntington Hospital Opens New Clinical Observation Unit

Tuesday, March 29, 2022

Cabell Huntington Hospital (CHH), a member of Mountain Health Network (MHN), has opened a new 18-bed Clinical Observation Unit (COU) to provide continued observation and treatment of patients whose care begins in the Emergency Room (ER). Located on the first floor of the hospital near the ER, pharmacy, radiology and laboratory services, the COU provides short-term treatment and observation of patients who need additional care, but not admission to the hospital.

The specialized unit was developed to enhance patient access to the most frequently used outpatient services at CHH and provide more timely care for patients requiring short-term observation or treatment.

“Patients will experience a true benefit from the timely, personalized care this new dedicated unit provides,” said Hoyt Burdick, MD, chief medical officer, MHN. “The Clinical Observation Unit is modeled after a very successful Clinical Decision Unit at St. Mary’s Medical Center and is another example of how Mountain Health is expanding shared best practices and delivery models throughout the network.”

The unit is staffed with an experienced team of nurses and advanced practitioners supervised by hospitalist physicians. The COU will continue care and treatment initiated in the ER for patients with symptoms or diagnoses that typically respond to appropriate therapy within hours. This includes low-risk patients with chest pain as well as patients with minor exacerbations of chronic disease. Patients who do not respond quickly or who require more extended evaluation and management will be admitted to the appropriate inpatient hospital unit to continue their care.

For more information about CHH outpatient services, visit www.cabellhuntington.org.