Accountable Care Unit

Mission Statement: We train future physicians to practice interprofessional, patient-centered care through observation and mentorship within a coordinated model of physician, nursing, pharmacy, and care management leadership.

Providing an innovative inpatient learning environment

Our Accountable Care Unit^TM (ACU) provides an innovative design in patient care and resident education. Located on a single geographic unit, the ACU provides a home for our residents where they become leaders of inter-professional teams and conduct daily bedside rounds. The patient care on this unit represents the best of collaboration in our hospital.

Our residents are proud of these excellent patient outcomes on the ACU:

• Reduced total and unexpected morality - see our publication
• ACU patients receive special resident-driven care pathways including workflows designed to reduce delirium, improve mobility, eliminate hypoglycemia, reduce unnecessary antibiotics, and reduce unnecessary labs

	ACU-Call Day	ACU Non-call Day
6:45AM	Accept night float admissions	Sign out/pre-round
8:00AM	Morning report	Morning report
8:50AM	Pre-rounds/notes/work	Table rounds/teaching
9:45AM	Table rounds/teaching	Bedside rounds
10:45AM	Bedside rounds	Notes/work
12:15PM	Noon conference	Noon conference
1:00PM	Admit/work/teaching	Work/teaching
4:30PM		Sign out to call team/end of day
7-10PM	Finish notes/work/sign out to night float resident

*ACU is a trademark administered and controlled by Centripital, Inc.

Accountable Care Unit

“The Accountable Care Unit is a unique experience for residents. We get to know the nursing and ancillary staff really well, which helps maintain an open line of communication for better and safer patient care. What I like best is the designated opportunity to talk with our patients and their families during the SIBR rounds, which I think helps them feel more invested in their care, and that their concerns are being heard.“
-Abby Lindseth, MD, Resident Physician, 2025-2026 Chief Resident

“As an attending on ACU I love the opportunity to teach residents and care for patients with our multi-disciplinary team. Our table-top rounds with the unit pharmacist let us optimize medication plans while focusing on safety—engaging with our residents on their quality improvement projects which—when successful -- often spread to other hospitals in the region. And the Structured Interdisciplinary Bedside Rounds (SIBR) on the geographically concentrated patients allows for longitudinal and deep connections with a stable set of nurses and case managers who understand and appreciate their part in our residents’ educational process. The patients appreciate the high degree of communication with them and with the entire care team—and, it’s fun!”
-Emily Hitchcock, MD, Faculty Attending

“Being a part of the ACU rounding achieves a holistic approach to healthcare. At these mini meetings, the patient and their family are shown intentional collaboration between various interdisciplinary care team members. This, in turn, allows a clear and wide bridge of communication.”
-Amanda Punzalan, ACU Nurse

“I’m especially grateful for the compassionate, professional, collaborative, and complete care. The experience renewed my faith in the medical profession. Doctors and nurses were all wonderful.”
- ACU Patient