Tracers are designed to “trace” the care experiences that a patient had while at an organization. It is a way to analyze the organization’s system of providing care, treatment or services using actual patients as the framework for assessing standards compliance. Patients selected for these tracers will likely be those in high-risk areas or whose diagnosis, age or type of services received may enable the best in-depth evaluation of the organization’s processes and practices.  Using the tracer framework, we create an imaginary course (Flow) of the various patient types within the overall health care and hospital ecosystem and then each particular area within the hospital. The specific examples we provide are motivated by evidence based optimal care and best practice. We highlight challenges and focus on resources, assessment, handoffs, interaction with external stakeholders (insurance , criminal justice).