Loading Curie Briefs...
Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Hospitals are experimenting with "split team" rounding models — separating admissions from rounding duties — to boost efficiency and reduce workflow disruptions. Institutions like Mount Sinai and the University of Nebraska Medical Center have seen real benefits, though teaching hospitals face unique hurdles. Experts agree: what works in one setting may not work in another, and flexibility is key.
Hospitals are rethinking how they structure inpatient clinical rounds, and the "split team" model is gaining traction. Rather than having one team handle both admissions and rounding, some institutions are dividing the work — one team admits patients, another rounds on them. Mount Sinai Health System has used this approach for years, crediting it with letting clinicians focus fully on their primary tasks. The University of Nebraska Medical Center blended the split model with geographic rounding, assigning admitted patients to one of four towers, each with its own dedicated rounding team.
Not everyone is sold, though. Physicians at Columbia University Irving Medical Center prefer mixed rounding teams, arguing they allow for better continuity of care. Teaching hospitals face an added wrinkle: splitting teams can limit trainees' exposure to fresh admissions — a critical part of medical education.
Key Takeaways:
Why it matters: As hospitals face growing pressure to improve efficiency and reduce clinician burnout, rounding structure is an underappreciated lever. Finding the right model — and staying open to change — could meaningfully improve both care quality and staff well-being.
