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.

Learn more about a day in the life of the ACU in our video:

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 is a trademark administered and controlled by Centripital, Inc.

“When I interviewed at Providence St Vincent, I really liked the camaraderie I saw between physicians, nursing, and other ancillary staff. After matching here and being a team member in the ACU, I am even more of a fan! The SIBR rounding provides a consistent, efficient, and effective way to ensure that the whole team (including the patient and family!) is communicating clearly about the patient’s plan of care. I find that this ensures that I don’t miss important observations from the bedside nurse, and that my patients truly understand what we’re doing for them.”
Annette Whitney M.D., Resident Graduate

“As an attending on ACU, I love the constant opportunities for teaching in our one-attending, one-team model in one geographic unit. Multidisciplinary table-top rounds allow us to prioritize the work for the day and quickly identify the most important teaching points for each patient. In all the other hospital teaching I've done, I've never seen residents work so closely side-by-side with each nurse, case manager and pharmacist to comprehensively care for patients.”
Irene Hendrickson, M.D., Faculty Instructor

“I love getting to know the Interns and watching them grow into such confident physicians; it truly becomes more like family when you get to know each other, and this makes for much better communication.”
Patty Miller, 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.”
Patient