Relias Healthcare is excited to announce that it will be furthering its partnership with Forrest General Hospital by providing medical
observation unit services. Since April 1, 2020, Relias Healthcare has served in the emergency department at FGH, located in
Hattiesburg, MS, providing emergency medicine services to the community.

“In our current moment, the correct status of the patient (inpatient vs observation) has never more paramount both with bed
optimization and reimbursement with payers. Our partnership with FGH will help get the right patient to the right bed at the right
time. Our goal is to help open beds on the inpatient unit while simultaneously improving throughput in the Emergency Department.
We are excited about expanding our relationship with FGH,” said Dr. Sumner Abraham, Relias Healthcare’s Chief Medical Operating
Officer.

“We have been very pleased with the kick-off of our new Observation Unit known to us as the CDU (Clinical Decision Unit) here at
FGH. The unit opened on February 1st after many months of planning and preparation. The transition went very smoothly, and Dr.
Abraham along with the rest of the Relias hospitalist staff have been phenomenal to work with. We are very excited to see what the
future holds for this unit, and the value it will bring to the organization as well as our patients.” said Suzanne Wilson, RN at Forrest
General Hospital and Director of Emergency Services and Transfer Center.

Medical observation units can facilitate patient movement through the healthcare system while providing high-quality care.
Optimally, these units increase patient satisfaction with the healthcare experience by limiting the time a patient is “waiting for a bed.”
Additionally, observation units can decrease strain on hospitalist services and in some cases may be able to improve the patient’s
condition more rapidly so that he/she can be discharged home.

Click here for a downloadable version of this press release

About Relias Healthcare

Relias Healthcare is a multi-state healthcare solutions company with over 300 providers and over 350,000 annual visits. Relias Healthcare provides hospitals with a wide portfolio of management and staffing solutions within the acute care setting of hospital systems, tertiary referral centers, and rural community hospitals. Providers are our priority, hospitals are our partners, and patients are our purpose.