Each day, Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital discharges an average of 49 people who go home. Among the
patients who are the most vulnerable or who need therapy at home, about 55
people a year come back to the hospital in the few days after they are
discharged.
In 2014,
Methodist Hospital partnered with local fire departments in St. Louis Park,
Minnetonka, Eden Prairie and Hopkins to help discharged patients make a safe
transition from hospital to home. To improve the discharge planning process,
the hospital invested staff time for communication and coordination with the
fire departments, as well as resources for technology and reporting. Three
years after the program launched, firefighters have visited more than 1,000
patients.
Methodist
Hospital Senior Director of Care Management Gena Graves recently met with
several firefighters to discuss the program, including additional services and
matching reimbursements provided by the Park Nicollet Foundation. This will
provide additional funds for supplies like folders, pill boxes, carbon monoxide
detectors, smoke detectors and iPads. In total, the Park Nicollet Foundation
has provided more than $71,000 in funding since 2014.
“We aren’t
just focused on the well-being of our patients while they’re in the hospital,”
said Graves. “We want to improve health for our community. These partnerships
are one of the ways we can make change.”
The fire
departments agree. Sometimes a small effort can keep someone from ending up in
an ambulance. It also saves time, resources and stress.
“The goal we
had when we started this program together was to impact the lives of patients
in a more positive way. I believe we’ve done that,” said Chief Steve Koering of
the St. Louis Park Fire Department.
Some 20
percent of Medicare patients are readmitted to the hospital within a month of
leaving. Through this program, firefighters are able to visit patients in their
homes. They discuss their new medications, take their blood pressure and do a
safety check around the house.
Patient
satisfaction for the program is rated at 95 percent satisfied or highly
satisfied. The hospital is now working on launching new branding to better
engage patients, as well as redesigning the data and impact measure tracking
and analysis.
“We know that
we are making a difference based on what patients say,” Koering said. “They see
the benefit. That’s enough for us.”