How Community Rehab Hospital North addressed shifting patients needs in their community.
In recent years, post-acute admissions for neurological and pulmonary conditions have seen significant growth – with acuity rates of the general patient population rising 6% since 2019. These rising rates, coupled with prolonged length of stay (LOS) numbers, has hospitals juggling a variety of new and complex illnesses.1,2
Watch the video below to learn how Lifepoint’s partner hospital, Community Rehabilitation Hospital North, located in Indianapolis, utilizes specialized resources, staffing and rehabilitation programming to accommodate and successfully treat the growing number of medically complex patients in the community.
Video transcript:
Dr. Eric Aitken, MD, Community Hospital Rehabilitation North (CHRN): Without a doubt, when I was in training it was pretty cut and dry pretty straightforward you knew the kind of patients you were getting.
Over the years, though, it's been a lot more complex. Patients are leaving hospitals more acutely-ill – stable, but still with a lot more medical complications, medical problems, that we then have to focus on here as well.
Annette Seabrook, CEO, CHRN: Inpatient rehab is the best setting for those increased medical complexities. Part of that is because of the increased physician supervision and involvement that's required at this level of care.
That's where we can minimize those readmissions, returns to acute care, and get more people directly home in a shorter length of stay.
Dr. Dave Kiley, Indianapolis Regional President, Community Health Network: Looking at the world today, a lot of the patients that come into our hospitals are more acute in nature, both from a rehabilitation standpoint and from a general medical standpoint. It's very rare that a patient comes into a hospital with just a rehabilitation problem.
These patients lots of times come in with other significant medical issues that need to be addressed and they're provided with the appropriate providers, physicians, nurses, ancillary services and so forth, to address the needs of that patient population.
As challenging as it is sometimes to be in the buildings and see what people are going through, I always leave feeling good.
We're actually making a difference in other people's lives. We're improving their lives. That's what healthcare is about.
You may also be interested in: Rise of Medically Complex Patients: How to Prepare Your Rehabilitation Program
Contact us to learn how Lifepoint Rehabilitation can help your hospital optimize its rehabilitation program to meet growing complex patient needs.
References:
- https://www.hfma.org/cost-effectiveness-of-health/continuum-of-care/new-data-suggest-hospital-operational-logjams-havent-ceased/
- https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/strategy/hospital-capacity-problems-will-persist-as-patient-acuity-rises-by-2033.html
