b'4.Implications (So What, and Now What?)Given the challenges facing hospitals and health systems today,all health care leaders must actively leverage every resource andcapability of every clinical service line, optimizing and drivingvalueespecially existing services with a high degree ofuntapped potential. This paper suggests that emergency departments have muchmore than observations, intuitions, and data. They have a uniqueopportunity (if not a responsibility) to address longstandingchallenges facing health care communities.The issues are usually clear. The answers require that we step out of our current paradigm, design solutions, support them with resources and a solid plan, and back them up with sustainable financial models.Change always starts with first steps, and there are many options.What are a few to consider?Helping Patients Delivering Care in the Gap: The Acute UnscheduledNavigate EffectivelyThe Bridge to Primary CareCare Model (AUCM) Helping Patients Navigate Effectively Only 7% of U.S. health care organizations report fully coordinating care between hospital, post-acute, and home settings. A majority of patients dont understand or follow their discharge instructions.And $25 - $45 billion in health care spending is wasted as a result. 12-15Addressing Care in the Gap as described above will demand more effective transitions of care, starting with basic health care navigation, with escalation to nurses or physicians as needed. Previous attempts to provide better discharge planning have typically failed because the EDs dont have the tools or resources to succeed, and are not sufficiently accountable for the consequences of the discharge plan (they are accountable for creating the plan, but not for its results).In the future, the expanded role of the ED (and its extended team), must shoulder a more comprehensive transition: Finding PCPs for patients without oneObtaining a timely appointmentEnsuring that patients follow discharge instructionsEncouragingpatientstofillandtakeprescriptionsTogether, we healTogether, we heal 15Together, we heal SCP HEALTHIFROM INSIGHTS TO INTERVENTIONS'