Partnership has become a leading strategy to efficiently improve quality while continuing to meet the needs of the growing medically complex patient population. However, every hospital and community is different, and therefore a one-size-fits-all partnership strategy does not exist. Partnerships can vary in model, stage of the care continuum and facility type. Long-term acute care hospitals (LTACHs) offer the appropriate clinical expertise for such patients and can therefore serve as efficient partners.
Discover 3 partnership models available to meet the opportunity in your hospital’s local community, and how LTACH integration through these models can benefit the entire care continuum.
Importance of LTACH integration to aid in enhanced hospital outcomes
LTACHs have historically earned the highest levels of patient satisfaction, as demonstrated by an Advisory Board analysis. [1]
Specialized service lines have become increasingly vital as the number of patients with multiple comorbidities rises. Partnership with LTACHs that focus on treating medically complex patients is especially valuable for:
- Decreasing Length of Stay (LOS)
LTACH integration enables a hospital to easily identify and transfer patients best suited for long-term acute care – therefore reducing unnecessary treatment in a less effective care setting.
This is done through regular coordination of physicians and care managers, daily/weekly screenings, maintaining a referral log and monitoring results through weekly performance report reviews. Critically ill patients are then able to receive the prompt, specialized care they need to be successfully discharged to a lower level of care, freeing up beds for more patients.
- Reducing Readmissions
Appropriate utilization of an LTACH’s resources for treating critically ill patients helps reduce the risk of readmission compared to other post-acute settings. At an LTACH, patients receive regular physician oversight and care from an interdisciplinary team of specialists and caregivers, based upon the patient’s needs, such as respiratory therapists, speech-language pathologist and pulmonologists.
Having a partner with a robust team of national recruiters who can identify qualified candidates to fill these roles can improve patient outcomes and help produce greater access to resources and specialized expertise, including hospital-level infection control and physician oversight.
- Lowering Care Costs
With highly-trained staff, daily physician visits and customized care plans, LTACHs can reduce total care costs. Innovative technologies, Joint Commission accreditations and special certifications, and advanced infection control protocols at such hospitals also support positive patient outcomes.
Further, through a Hospital-in-Hospital (HiH) model with LTACHs, facilities can experience 39% lower per-day payments, as they can leverage the LTACH’s expertise and approach to specialized care. [2]
Once your hospital determines that the complex patient population would benefit from this specialized care, identifying the partnership model best suited to meet their unique needs is an important next step.
3 most common partnership models
- Joint-venture (JV): This option presents local hospitals with the ability to work with a trusted partner. JVs combine both party’s strengths and brings in specialized expertise, resources and skills to help the hospital elevate its offering and expand patient access. This was the case for one community health group that was able to grow its average daily census of less than 100 to over 500 through a joint-venture partnership model. [3]
- Contract management agreement: This is an ideal option for hospitals wanting to maintain full ownership while also tapping into the expertise of a focused partner. It can also be a great place to start when considering a long-term partner. This gives both parties time to confirm that the organizations are a strong fit before moving into a joint-venture or merger.
- Hospital-in-hospital (HIH): An HiH is a separate hospital that is located within the four walls of another hospital, or in one or more distinct buildings located on the same campus.[4] The HiH, or co-location model, can mitigate the risk and challenges of high-risk patient transfers, and reduce LOS by providing advanced care under one roof from multiple specialties. A major benefit of an HiH is that it can also be incorporated into any of the above partnership models to further leverage a hospital’s service lines.
How Kindred Hospitals can help
LTACH integration through a joint-venture, contract management or HiH partnership can enable chronically ill patients the opportunity to receive specialized care throughout their recovery journey.
With a history of successful partnerships, we can help your hospital reduce LOS, lower readmission risk and promote efficiencies. This not only enhances a hospital’s overall performance, but can also help generate long-term positive outcomes for the patients and community.
To learn more, visit KindredLTACHPartner.com.
[1] https://www.advisory.com/Blog/2015/04/Where-hospitals-fared-best-in-new-ratings
[2] Kindred Healthcare calculations using data from CMS MEDPAR, 2019
[3] Post-Acute Partnership Options for Health Systems (Powerpoint File)
[4] https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/42/412.22