For Pooja Vyas, DO, the big question for hospitalists, case managers, social workers, dietitians, pharmacists and nurses is, "What is the reason the patient cannot go home today?"
Dr. Vyas, vice president and chief medical officer of St. Louis-based BJC Christian Hospital, said in a recent Becker's podcast her organization is tackling length of stay through its Contemporary Care Model. Implemented last year, the model defines the individual roles between case managers and social workers.
This year, she said BJC Christian launched interdisciplinary rounds "to make sure everybody's on the same page" about discharge plans.
These two efforts have led to a decrease in the hospital's average length of stay, which went from 6.5 days to between 5.2 and 5.7 days. By the end of 2024, Dr. Vyas said her goal is for the average to drop below 5.2 days.
Luminis Health, a three-hospital system based in Annapolis, Md., has a similar focus.
Sunil Madan, MD, chief medical officer of Luminis, told Becker'sBecker's his team is forming what it calls the Expediter Program, which aims to reduce the average length of stay. The initiative selects a new registered nurse every day to expedite patient discharges.
Each morning, the chosen employee oversees that day's discharges and helps "execute and overcome any barriers in care," such as a known pickup delay, Dr. Madan said.
The nurse collaborates with the physician, physical therapy and care management teams to coordinate the most efficient discharges. The program also reduces emergency department boarding, he said.
To measure success, Luminis examines how long the discharge process takes and how its interventions decrease overall length of stay. The goal for the first 90 days is a 10% reduction in the average length of stay.