Chris Fox, MD, Professor and Chair, Department of Emergency Medicine
Location: UCI Health — Los Alamitos Emergency Department Turnaround
"Don't mind your own business ... stay curious and try new things."
Dr. Chris Fox is inspired by the opportunity to bring the best care possible to each community UCI Health serves. The integration of the UCI Health Community Network and the opening of the UCI Health — Irvine acute care hospital in December offer a unique opportunity to change the way care is delivered across locations.
“Change is powerful. We must challenge ourselves to break the status quo and bring our best selves to every situation. When morale is low, ask why? When patient satisfaction is low, ask how can I have a positive impact? Commit to discovering and eliminating barriers that impede our ability to deliver the best and friendliest care possible.”
Earlier this year, a team of UC Irvine School of Medicine emergency medicine physicians partnered with the UCI Health – Los Alamitos leadership team to address challenges in the emergency department, including increased patient volume, long wait times, diversion hours and patient walkouts – all of which contributed to low satisfaction scores.
Despite some roadblocks – most notably the use of different electronic medical record systems – the team remained committed to try new things, collaborate to innovate and discover daily through process changes and relationship building. The results were almost immediate.
Between April and May 2025, discharge length of stay, diversion hours and patient walkouts dropped significantly. UCI Health — Los Alamitos achieved its lowest emergency medical services (EMS) transport offload time in more than three years and the highest patient satisfaction scores since tracking began – all while overall patient volume increased.
Core to this kind of impact is ensuring co-workers feel confident about the future and empowered to adapt.
“This work is about transforming not just systems, but the experience of care itself. When we support one another in pushing boundaries, we truly build tomorrow together.”
Collaborate to innovate. Reach out and be open to varied perspectives that help us better understand the whole picture.
Try new things. Approach problems with curiosity and explore creative solutions to improve outcomes.
Discover daily. Grow your personal impact in small and large ways with everyday curiosity and professional development.
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