Using simulation and goal programming to reschedule emergency department doctors' shifts: case of a Tunisian hospital

This paper describes the current operation of an emergency department model at Habib Bourguiba University Hospital in Sfax, Tunisia. The model is simulated using Arena software to detect the flaws that occur in the system. Different alternatives are suggested and evaluated according to the following key measures of performance: length of stay, queuing waiting times, resources utilization and resources scheduling. A goal programming model is developed to choose the most appropriate schedule that optimizes the measures.