A HealthPartners care innovation is helping patients get the right level of care while reducing unnecessary trips to the emergency department.

Known as “second-level triage,” the new process has helped reduce emergency department recommendations by 55% among patients calling the HealthPartners CareLine. Instead of automatically directing patients to the ED, clinicians and triage nurses collaborate in real time to determine the safest and most appropriate care setting, including urgent care, a primary care clinic or same-day virtual visit.

That's more than 15,100 second-level triage consults where a patient was recommended for something other than an emergency department visit. About 4,800 of those were HealthPartners health plan members and led to an estimated savings of $2.9 million.

Emergency departments are busy, and not every patient needs that level of care. Clinicians at Regions Hospital saw this need firsthand and partnered with HealthPartners CareLine triage nurses to find a better way to guide patients to the right care at the right time. The approach began as a pilot in October 2024 and has since expanded throughout the organization.

During the pilot, when a patient called CareLine and was initially advised to go to the emergency department, a triage nurse would consult a clinician. Together, they reviewed symptoms and determined the safest and most appropriate next step. In 74% of those cases, urgent care, a primary care clinic or a same-day virtual visit was recommended over the ED.

Today, the program includes primary care virtualist clinicians and all primary care triage nurses, strengthening collaboration and improving patient access. The process is also improving the experience for both patients and care teams. Patients gain clarity and confidence during stressful moments, while care teams work together in real time to make informed decisions.

“Emergency departments are an essential resource for care, but not every patient needs emergency-level care,” said Dr. Jerome Siy, HealthPartners value-based care medical director. “By bringing clinicians and triage nurses together to review cases in real time, we’re helping patients get the care they need in the setting that best meets their needs. It’s a simple change that helps make care simple and more affordable.”

Second-level triage is available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Future expansion, including evenings and weekends, is under consideration.