[Sample] Hospital network adds home care agencies to its discharge referral list
The fictional Valley Health system will now share an approved list of agencies with patients going home.
Sample article for testing the newsroom layout. The agencies, people and figures below are fictional.
Valley Health, a fictional three-hospital system, has started giving patients a discharge referral list of approved home care agencies. Until now, case managers were not allowed to suggest specific agencies.
How agencies get on the list
- Hold a current state license with no open enforcement actions.
- Accept new clients within 48 hours of a referral.
- Report back to the case manager within a week of starting care.
Why the hospital made the change
Valley Health says readmissions were higher among patients who left without help at home. A shorter path to an agency should cut the gap between discharge and the first visit.
"Families were leaving with a phone book and a lot of stress. Now they leave with a short list and a name to call," said Karen Lewis, Valley Health's director of care transitions.
What owners should do
Agencies near Valley Health hospitals can apply through the system's vendor portal. Being able to start care within 48 hours is the hardest requirement, so check your intake capacity first.