Valley Baptist Medical Centers in Brownsville and Harlingen, Texas, has exceeded CMS' goals for reducing preventable hospital readmissions, according to a Brownsville Herald news report.
The hospitals are part of a CMS pilot program, in which hospital participants seek to lower the number of hospital readmissions within 30 days of discharge by 2 percent. VBMC-Brownsville and VBMC-Harlingen surpassed that goal, achieving 2.8 percent and 4.2 percent reductions, respectively, according to the news report.
CMS' pilot program was launched following studies suggesting patients who saw their physician within seven days after discharge were less likely to be readmitted to the hospital. VBMC tested the study by working with physicians to ensure patients were being scheduled for follow-up visits within seven days. The hospitals also worked with other community care providers, such as nursing homes and home healthcare agencies, to ensure patients understood their post-discharge instructions, according to the news report.
Read the news report about Valley Baptist Medical Center.
Related Articles on Hospital Readmissions:
AHA Urges CMS to Include Additional Patient Characteristics in its Hospital Readmissions Program
Stakeholders Aim to Reduce Preventable Readmissions
HCUP Study Shows Younger Medicare Beneficiaries Demonstrate Higher Readmissions
The hospitals are part of a CMS pilot program, in which hospital participants seek to lower the number of hospital readmissions within 30 days of discharge by 2 percent. VBMC-Brownsville and VBMC-Harlingen surpassed that goal, achieving 2.8 percent and 4.2 percent reductions, respectively, according to the news report.
CMS' pilot program was launched following studies suggesting patients who saw their physician within seven days after discharge were less likely to be readmitted to the hospital. VBMC tested the study by working with physicians to ensure patients were being scheduled for follow-up visits within seven days. The hospitals also worked with other community care providers, such as nursing homes and home healthcare agencies, to ensure patients understood their post-discharge instructions, according to the news report.
Read the news report about Valley Baptist Medical Center.
Related Articles on Hospital Readmissions:
AHA Urges CMS to Include Additional Patient Characteristics in its Hospital Readmissions Program
Stakeholders Aim to Reduce Preventable Readmissions
HCUP Study Shows Younger Medicare Beneficiaries Demonstrate Higher Readmissions