Evolution of Programs to Improve Transfers between Hospitals and Nursing Homes at the Community Level

Ronald Lagoe^1*, Louise Pernisi², Dorothy Haag³, Barbara Drapola⁴

¹Hospital Executive Council, Syracuse, NY, USA.
²Upstate University Hospital, Syracuse, NY, USA.
³St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center, Syracuse, NY, USA.
⁴Crouse Hospital, Syracuse, NY, USA.

DOI: 10.4236/ojn.2015.57062                

Abstract

This study described the evolution of programs to improve the efficiency of patient movement between hospitals and nursing homes in the metropolitan area of Syracuse, New York. These programs were needed in order to improve coordination among providers in the absence of networks that included both acute and long term care providers. The mechanisms included the exchange of data and monitoring the movement of Difficult to Place patients from hospitals to nursing homes. Between 2006 and 2014, the annual number of Difficult to Place patients increased from 983 to 1836. During this period, annual hospital medical/surgical discharges increased by 7.5 percent, severity of illness increased by 13.7 percent, and the population aged 65 years and over increased by 9.8 percent. Most of the Difficult to Place patients were admitted by the four largest facilities in the community, which accounted for 60 percent of the nursing home beds. The initiatives also included Subacute and Complex Care Programs that provided financial incentives for admission of certain types of patients, such as intravenous therapy and extensive wound care. The programs described how these programs were implemented using minimal financial resources and without adding positions to the participating provider organizations.

Keywords

Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Long Term Care, Hospital Lengths of Stay

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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