The Primary Care Coordinator role grew out of the desire to create a better case management model.  Specifically, the model aims to achieve the following goals.

• Reduce costs of hospital care
• Reduce wasted resources
• Improve process of care coordination

UPMC Shadyside developed the Primary Care Coordinator role through a process of using the Lean Enterprise Institute to redesign systems and roles, reduce waste, and improve processes.  The hospital essentially redesigned the role of the case manager and created instead a unit-based role for experienced nurses with clinical and financial/discharge planning responsibility.