Increased inpatient volume and PCP satisfaction through Hospital Medicine Strategies
Challenge:
A hospital administrator contacted HospitalMD because the hospital’s Primary Care Physicians (PCPs) were becoming increasingly disenchanted with their Hospitalist group. The PCPs felt the Hospitalist group was transferring too many patients elsewhere that could have been cared for locally, causing additional stress on their patients. In addition, when patients were cared for by the Hospitalist locally, the lack of consistent communication with PCPs made them feel out of the loop with patient care.
Solution:
A successful Hospitalist service should provide exceptional inpatient care within the community and benefit PCPs. The hospital chose to partner with HospitalMD because we not only understand the value of keeping patients local, but have a proven, systematic approach to PCP communication. During our discussions with the hospital, our experienced clinical team met with medical staff and listened to everyone’s challenges. HospitalMD developed a tailored approach including:
- Monthly meetings with PCPs, administration, and the HospitalMD clinical operations team
- A systematic Admission and Discharge communication process which was regularly tracked and discussed
- Additional nurse training to enhance care for more patients locally.
- Ongoing evaluation with the hospital, the PCPs, and our Hospitalist service to produce immediate and long-term results, with continual goals for improvement.
Result:
Initially, HospitalMD attended roughly half of the inpatients. The PCPs attended the other half. The average daily census was approximately 10. After the successful implementation of our practice, we now see 100% of the inpatients. This is the direct result of our relationship with the PCPs and their trust in our service. The average daily census is now approximately 15, resulting in over $2.3 million in additional revenue! Our unwavering commitment and successful results foster long-term relationships that continue to make a difference year after year.
