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Low Hospital Readmission Rates Earned
Posted June 06, 2017
Home Health by Hale Makua works hard to keep their patients at home and out of the hospital. Recently, Home Health by Hale Makua received their acute care hospitalization monthly report from the Home Health Quality Improvement (HHQI) organization and we are proud to report that Home Health by Hale Makua earned an 8.3% rate for hospitalization in December of 2016 and an 8.9% rate for hospitalization in January of 2017. Those numbers are well below the State average of 18.4% and 22.1% for the same time periods, as well as below the national average of 23.9% and 27.1%.
Nationwide almost 20% of patients discharged from hospitals are readmitted to the hospital within 30 days. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has made reducing preventable readmissions a top priority for the Medicare program. Through adoption of performance measures, financial incentives, and financial penalties, CMS is increasing pressure on hospitals and partners along the healthcare continuum to adopt transition-of-care strategies that prevent avoidable hospital readmissions.
For home health agencies like Home Health by Hale Makua, preventing readmission to the hospital is an increasingly urgent priority not only because CMS has made it a priority, but also because individuals typically prefer receiving care in their own homes. Home Health Compare and Star Ratings measures capture agency performance on readmissions, and new IMPACT Act performance measures will assess additional aspects of care. Medicare’s new value-based purchasing strategies are creating a direct link between readmission and reimbursement. Health systems and accountable care organizations (ACOs) are also recognizing the importance of home care in preventing readmissions, and are looking to their agency partners to help them improve this.
Home Health by Hale Makua is CHAP-accredited and has been providing skilled nursing and therapy services on Maui for over 45 years. If you would like more information about Home Health by Hale Makua, please visit them online at www.halemakua.org/home-health or call (808) 244-3661.