Merritt Named Nurse Manager Of USA Health’s Fed

Registered nurse Philip Merritt has been named nurse manager of USA Health’s freestanding emergency department (FED) in West Mobile, scheduled to open in late 2021. Merritt has worked in the emergency department at USA Health University Hospital for the past 18 years, first as a staff/charge nurse and most recently as the patient flow coordinator and working supervisor. During that time, Merritt has implemented many clinical and safety improvement projects in the department. He developed a trauma nursing class for new employees and implemented daily safety huddles in the emergency department. He also assisted in the hiring and training of medical assistants for obtaining blood cultures, which resulted in a 75% decrease in contamination rates. Dr. Edward Panacek, professor and chair of emergency medicine, will serve as the initial medical director of the freestanding emergency department. He plans to hire a medical director and medical operations director by the end of the year.