Becker's Hospital Review

31 Executive Briefing Specific clinical positions that can play a critical role in treating medically complex patients include: • Speech-Language Pathologists (SLP): Since many patients have tracheostomies and/or are ventilator-dependent while receiving care in an LTACH, the SLP's role is vital in helping patients work on swallowing abilities, tolerance for voice prostheses and communication skills. 2 • Pulmonologists: LTACHs are in a unique position to care for complex pulmonary patients because of their ability to provide acute-level care, with a particular competency for those with pulmonary issues. Many pulmonary patients have multiple comorbidities and would benefit from seeing a physician every day, something LTACHs offer. The superior training, education and programming supplied by a qualified LTACH partner can generate a unified interdisciplinary team approach – leading to reduced readmission risk and care costs. 3. Reduced Care Costs While medically complex patients make up only a small percentage of the U.S. patient population, they account for 50% of healthcare spending. 3 It's vital to have an experienced partner that can help ensure a hospital is strategically utilizing resources. The utilization of highly-trained staff and medical directors, implementation of technology and obtaining Joint Commission accreditations and special certifications can aid in achieving lower care costs, therefore benefiting patient outcomes and hospital efficiencies. Through the HiH LTACH partnership model, facilities can experience 39% lower per-day payments compared to STACHs, while also mitigating exposure to costly outlier payments to STACHs – further demonstrating an LTACH partner's critical role in value-based networks and accountable care organizations. 4 Through these tools and strategies, a qualified LTACH partner can help offer a hospital significant potential for savings and quality improvements. 4. Improved Quality and Patient Satisfaction LTACH integration through the guidance of an experienced partner can provide high-risk patients specialized care throughout their entire recovery. Additionally, having a qualified partner that is equipped with the expertise and resources to reduce ALOS, lower the risk of readmission and reduce care costs will enhance the overall performance of a hospital and generate long-term positive outcomes for patients and the community it serves. Treating the growing medically complex patient population is an urgent need for health systems across the country. Being able to rely on a trusted expert in the long-term acute care space can help relieve the burden of successfully addressing this patient population. Benefits of Kindred LTACH Partnership By reevaluating your system's current offerings, your hospital may be able to identify opportunities to adjust services or optimize programs to better meet patient needs. A contract management or joint-venture LTACH partnership can do just that by helping to identify areas where HiH LTACH integration could substantially benefit your hospital. n References 1. Jencks SF, Williams MV, Coleman EA. Rehospitalizations among patients in the Medicare fee-for-service program. N Engl J Med. 2009;360(14):1418-1428. 2. ASHA (Ed.). Long-term Acute Care Hospitals. https://www.asha. org/slp/healthcare/ltac/. 3. Kaiser Family Foundation calculations using data from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Household Component, 2010. 4. Kindred Healthcare calculations using data from CMS MEDPAR, 2019 Kindred Healthcare partners with health systems to develop new or optimize existing LTACHs through HiH, contract management and joint-venture freestanding partnership opportunities. For more than 30 years, Kindred has worked with patients and health systems across the country to help improve outcomes, reduce readmissions and transition patients home or to a lower level of care. Through the HiH LTACH partnership model, facilities can experience 39% lower per-day payments compared to STACHs, while also mitigating exposure to costly outlier payments to Benefits of LTACH partnership for hospital success EXECUTIVE BRIEFING 2 STACHs – further demonstrating an LTACH partner's critical role in value-based networks and accountable care organizations. 4 "

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