Her research examined the impact of long emergency department wait times on patient outcomes and staff safety, highlighting evidence-based strategies to improve care delivery. The award is selected by a panel of Brockport faculty and staff and honors poster presentations that demonstrate originality, strong visual design, and a compelling explanation of scholarly work.
Barzac’s award‑winning poster explored the impact of long emergency department wait times on both patients and healthcare staff, a growing concern as emergency visits continue to rise nationwide. Drawing on her academic training and interest in improving patient outcomes, she conducted a comprehensive review of existing research examining how prolonged wait times contribute to negative experiences in emergency care settings.
Her project analyzed 35 peer‑reviewed studies published between 2011 and 2025, highlighting how excessive waits are linked to patients leaving without being seen, rising healthcare costs, lower patient satisfaction, increased mortality, and higher rates of aggression toward emergency department staff. With nurse turnover in emergency departments exceeding national averages, Barzac emphasized the urgency of addressing wait times to improve both quality of care and workplace safety.
The poster also outlined evidence‑based strategies shown to reduce delays, including Lean process improvements, rapid assessment models, fast‑track or primary care areas, improved bed management, better workload distribution, increased staffing, and the use of self‑check‑in kiosks. Barzac noted that combining multiple approaches is often necessary, as no single solution fits every hospital setting.
Faculty judges praised the project for its clear synthesis of complex research and its practical relevance to modern healthcare challenges. Barzac’s work demonstrates how undergraduate scholarship can contribute meaningful insights to critical issues facing today’s healthcare system.