Guest Blog: Breaking Silos in 2012
The following is a guest blog from Anthony Cirillo, FACHE, ABC:
I like to get a jump on New Year's resolutions by proposing one in December. I'd like to propose that the silos between hospitals and long-term care be broken. In fact they have to be broken.
A big topic at the long-term care conferences this fall has been readmissions. According to a study conducted by MedPAC, nearly 20% of Medicare beneficiaries who are discharged from a hospital are readmitted within 30 days. And 34% of patients are readmitted within 90 days and 56% are readmitted within a year. In fiscal year 2013, hospitals will be penalized by 1 percent for high readmission rates under the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program.
In 2014, they will face a 2 percent penalty and, in 2015, a 3 percent penalty. The topic of transitional care has crept up recently. The idea is that providers across the continuum work together to prevent readmissions by assuring that the patient is being monitored and following discharge instructions.
As reported in Fierce Health, Gwinnett Medical and WellStar Health System use transition coaches to help guide patients through discharge and follow up. St. Anthony's Hospital, a part of BayCare Health System, works with Pinellas Point Nursing and Rehabilitation to cut readmissions of heart failure patients. Long-term facility operator Signature HealthCARE launched a pilot program, TransitionalCARE, focusing on care between hospitals and nursing facilities, as well as from nursing facilities to the home. They also use transitional coaches to teach patients to take care of their own health.
As nursing homes position themselves to be part of an accountable care organization (ACO), those that start these innovative programs will be in the best position to partner with hospitals, the most likely leaders in the ACO movement. What I really like is that Signature's foray into the topic of hospital readmissions revolved largely around improving the customer experience.
Reduced hospital readmissions, less risk of infection and fewer complications, along with improved census were byproducts. The continuum of care is becoming blurred and it is imperative that the experience for patients be consistent across that continuum. And when you are guided by the right thing to do with patient and resident experience, all the rest seems to fall in place. Let's resolve to really put the patient first as we design systems of care.
Anthony Cirillo is the about.com expert in assisted living. A speaker, health care consultant, senior advocate and blogger, he consults with long-term care facilities and is available for management retreats and association keynotes. He is the author of "Who Moved My Dentures?" His company, Fast Forward Consulting empowers organizations to change the healthcare experience and leverage it in their marketing. For more information go to More at www.4wardfast.com andwww.anthonycirillo.com.