“The proof is in the numbers. Reducing hospital readmissions matters. A recent overview of the Nationwide Readmissions Database found that out of 12.5 million patients, 1.8 million were readmitted within 30 days.  That equates to more than $50 billion in hospital costs. Policy makers are putting pressure on nursing homes with three major governing programs that have a readmission measure in order to incentivize providers to reduce admissions. All three – the IMPACT Act, value-based purchasing and 5 Star Quality Reporting System– leave providers with a big question: how do you keep patients from going back to the hospital?

“There is no one quick fix, but it’s mutually beneficial for nursing homes and hospitals, which are under a readmission penalty as well, to proactively partner together as one key way to reduce patient readmissions.

“The time is ripe for strategic partnering

“With increased pressure to do reduce readmissions, hospitals are looking at their care paths and ‘narrowing their networks.’ That is, they are limiting the number of nursing centers where patients are discharged to those they trust will best undertake the right care paths that ensure unnecessary readmissions.”

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