DECATUR COUNTY, GA — What started out as monthly meetings focused on improving patient flow and identifying ways to shorten wait time turned into the Fast Track Program at Memorial Hospital and Manor.
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Memorial Hospital and Manor has launched a Fast Track program aimed at delivering faster emergency care to patients dealing with minor injuries and illnesses, and early results show the average length of stay has already dropped by half.
The program began in December 2025 and operates similarly to an urgent care center, but inside the emergency department. It is designed to treat conditions including small cuts, scrapes, minor burns, bruises, and mild sprains. Mild illnesses like common colds, flu, sore throats and earaches are also treated as well.
After being assessed in the usual manner, patients with less serious needs are sent to the Fast Track area where they can receive testing and treatment more quickly. A nurse is dedicated exclusively to that section, keeping attention focused on those lower-acuity cases. Lab work, including swabs, is completed on site and results come back faster than in a traditional ER setting.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports the average total ER visit in Georgia lasts 2 hours and 40 minutes. By separating minor cases from critical ones, the Fast Track program allows medical staff to give full attention to serious emergencies without less urgent cases creating delays.
Patients entering the Fast Track area face no wait time, and the average length of stay in that section is 1 hour.
ABC 27’s Vanessa Lawrence spoke with Brittney Dixon, an emergency room nurse with 12 years of experience at Memorial Hospital. Dixon said the impact on wait times has been clear since Fast Track got underway.
"We noticed that our average length of stay has actually been cut in half. So the patients that are coming in for like minor injuries, for even, you know, lacerations, things like that, small lacerations, we are able to get them in and out of here a lot quicker now that we have the Fast Track," Dixon said.
For Dixon, the program represents more than just a faster visit — it is about making a meaningful connection with every patient who walks through the door.
"We want them to feel happy when they leave here. We want them to be satisfied with their care and to really feel like we've actually connected with them. We definitely want that for our community," Dixon said.
The Director of Development for Memorial Hospital and Manor said that since its December 2025 launch, the Fast Track program has already made a noticeable difference in how patients across the community experience emergency care.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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