Why Command Centers Are Reshaping Patient Flow Across Health Systems

By Jennifer Davis, Executive Administrative Assistant @ highMor | July 2025

In an era of increasing healthcare demands, hospitals are turning to innovative solutions to manage patient flow more effectively. Centralized command centers, inspired by models from aviation and military operations, serve as hubs for real-time monitoring, coordination, and decision-making¹². These centers integrate interdisciplinary teams, advanced technology, and data analytics to oversee hospital-wide activities, ultimately aiming to reduce delays, enhance safety, and optimize resource use¹. This article explores how command centers improve overall patient flow, facilitate better transfer coordination, and leverage predictive analytics to handle surges, drawing on recent research to highlight their transformative impact.

Improving Overall Patient Flow

Command centers act as nerve centers for hospitals, providing a unified view of operations to streamline the movement of patients through various departments. By collocating teams and utilizing real-time data dashboards, these centers address bottlenecks such as emergency department boarding and inefficient bed utilization¹³. For instance, they monitor key metrics like transfer volumes and patient throughput, leading to reported improvements in operational efficiency¹. In one implementation, a command center facilitated daily huddles and enhanced transparency, resulting in proactive responses to capacity issues³.

Research indicates that command centers can reduce non-value-added activities in patient journeys, such as unnecessary waits, by integrating services like bed management and discharge planning¹⁴. A study of a UK hospital’s command center showed marginal reductions in transition times from patient arrival to clinician assessment, with decreases ranging from 0.9 to 9.7 minutes across intervention phases⁵. Similarly, qualitative analyses reveal that these centers foster better communication and coordination among staff, mitigating issues like fragmented workflows that contribute to overcrowding⁶⁷. Overall, hospitals with command centers have demonstrated enhanced resource allocation, allowing for higher patient throughput without compromising care quality⁴.

Enabling Better Transfer Coordination

One of the standout benefits of command centers is their role in coordinating patient transfers, both within and between facilities, by centralizing information and decision-making processes. These centers use integrated systems to track bed availability, patient status, and transport logistics in real time, reducing delays associated with manual processes³⁸. For example, a hybrid virtual and in-person model managed transfers across urban and rural sites via a single command center, achieving low readmission rates and efficient care delivery⁸.

Studies emphasize how command centers break down information silos, enabling seamless handoffs and rerouting during high-demand periods⁹². In crisis scenarios, such as pandemics, they facilitate rapid assessment of available resources and standardized deployment, ensuring transfers align with capacity⁹. A narrative review highlights improvements in communication and integration of services, which directly support timely transfers and minimize risks like clinical deterioration². By employing tools like color-coded dashboards for external transfers and emergency department status, command centers have been linked to reduced response times and better collaboration across teams³.

Using Predictive Analytics to Mitigate Surges

Predictive analytics is a cornerstone of modern command centers, allowing hospitals to anticipate and manage patient surges before they overwhelm systems. These tools analyze real-time data to forecast demand, such as incoming patient volumes or bed occupancy, enabling proactive adjustments³². For instance, dashboards with predictive insights have helped hospitals mitigate capacity issues exacerbated by events like COVID-19, by providing early warnings on potential bottlenecks³.

Evidence from implementations shows that predictive models integrated into command centers can lower mortality and readmission rates by optimizing resource allocation during peaks⁸. A review notes the use of early warning systems for surge management, improving operational outcomes through data-driven decisions². In one case, analytics reduced emergency department boarding and enhanced surge response, though results vary by design and context¹⁵. By combining historical data with real-time inputs, these systems support strategies like rerouting admissions, ultimately enhancing resilience against unexpected influxes⁹.

Challenges and Future Directions

While command centers offer significant advantages, challenges remain, including high implementation costs, data quality issues, and the need for staff training¹⁵. Some studies report inconsistent impacts on metrics like length of stay, suggesting that benefits depend on integration with existing processes⁵. Heterogeneity in design also limits generalizability, with calls for standardized definitions and rigorous research to measure long-term effects¹.

Looking ahead, future developments may focus on expanding predictive capabilities and incorporating AI for even more precise surge mitigation². Hospitals are encouraged to adopt scalable solutions, such as those tested in diverse settings, to ensure broader applicability⁸. Ongoing evaluations will be crucial to refine these centers and maximize their potential in reshaping patient flow.

Centralized command centers represent a pivotal shift in healthcare management, driving efficiency through improved flow, coordinated transfers, and analytics-driven surge handling. As more systems adopt this model, the focus on evidence-based enhancements will continue to benefit patients and providers alike. If your health system is exploring such innovations, starting with a pilot program could yield valuable insights.

References

¹ Luu, H. et al. Use of Hospital Capacity Command Centers to Improve Emergency Department Throughput. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW).

² Anesi, G.L. et al. Can we improve healthcare with centralized management? Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW).

³ Berwick, D. How to Build and Operationalise a Hospital Command Centre. Henry Stewart Talks (HSTalks).

⁴ Åhlin, P. et al. Solutions for Improved Hospital-Wide Patient Flows – A Qualitative Study. Health Services Research. 2023 Jan 7;23:17. doi: 10.1186/s12913-022-09015-w.

⁵ Brown, L. et al. The Impact of Hospital Command Centre on Patient Flow. Oxford University Press (OUP). 

⁶ Samadbeik, M. et al. Understanding Patient Flow from the Perspectives of Patients and Staff. Organization Studies.

⁷ Samadbeik, M. et al. “A Banana in the Tailpipe”: A Qualitative Study of Patient Flow Obstacles. Health Services Research. 2025 May 23;25:745. doi: 10.1186/s12913-025-12873-9.

⁸ Parker, M. et al. Implementation of a Virtual and In-Person Hybrid Hospital-at-Home Command Center. BMC Health Services Research.

⁹ Hick, J.L. et al. Successfully Deploying Your Valuable Resources: Surge Capacity Management. National Institutes of Health (NIH).

¹⁰ Allen, D. et al. Hospital Capacity Command Centers: A Benchmarking Review. Elsevier.