Despite widespread efforts to standardize patient care for efficiency, achieving consistent reductions in length of stay (LOS) across complex patient populations remains a critical challenge.
While hospitals understandably prioritize financial investment in acute services for program optimization, staffing and resource allocation, health leaders recognize the substantial benefits of post-acute care in improving patient outcomes, length of stay and readmission risk.
Value-based care (VBC), a CMS initiative, drives hospitals to deliver high-quality, affordable care by focusing on patient outcomes rather than the volume of services provided.
Recruiting and retaining quality clinical staff remains a top priority for hospitals and health systems this year.
Inpatient rehabilitation provides comprehensive therapy in a hospital setting for patients recovering from serious illnesses, injuries or surgeries. As the most intensive form of rehabilitation, it's designed to help patients regain their independence and return to the community.
Nearly 50% of women in the U.S. identify their obstetrician-gynecologist (OBGYN) as their main medical provider. This means they often discuss mental health concerns with their OBGYN, including anxiety, depression, chronic pain, substance abuse and trauma.
The post-acute care landscape is forever evolving, making it critical for health leaders to stay on top of shifting trends, particularly within the inpatient rehabilitation setting. To optimize hospital operations, improve patient outcomes, and bolster financial sustainability, understanding and adapting hospital priorities has never been more important.
October is National Health Literacy month, which aims at increasing awareness and education about the importance of improving health literacy for both patients and healthcare providers.
By 2030, it is estimated that nearly 14 million Americans aged 56 years or older will have a mental health or substance use disorder – an increase of 57% from 2012.1 This growing number has pushed behavioral health to the forefront of hospital strategic priorities.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently finalized minimum staffing requirements for skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and other nursing homes.1 These requirements are expected to have lasting impacts on the industry, including several post-acute programs, such as inpatient rehabilitation. Since CMS proposed the requirement in 2023, it has been...
