Two factors that are expected to have continued growth within the post-acute space are hospital flexibility – or co-location – and the need to maintain financial stability.
Read more to uncover insight from industry leaders including the Healthcare Financial Management Association, as well as Kindred Rehabilitation Services’ CMO, Sally Brooks, on what to expect in the upcoming year surrounding service line co-location and financial stability, and how hospitals can best prepare.
- Demand for co-location and flexibility as patient needs shift
Co-location, or the integration of multiple care settings on one hospital campus, will continue to see substantial growth. Having a streamlined care approach within the hospital is crucial for patient and hospital outcomes as well as overall hospital flexibility.
“When you pair post-acute services with one another under the same roof, you enable patients to reap the benefits of multiple specialty offerings without having to transfer them outside of the system,” stated Dr. Brooks. “For example, when you have acute rehabilitation and long-term acute care in the same hospital, physicians can spread their skillset across service lines. This not only increases flexibility for staff, but can ultimately reduce patient readmission risk and care costs.”
When a hospital can help ensure a patient receives the vital services needed to achieve their recovery goals all within the same health system, factors such as reputation, service optimization and financial stability are strengthened.
- Financial stability after COVID-19
Eighty percent of healthcare executives noted that the largest priority for their hospital was financial stability when looking at their strategic plans for the upcoming year, according to a recent Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) survey.1
“The shift to value-based care has pushed hospitals to reduce spending while improving quality and outcomes,” stated Dr. Brooks. “Further, health systems are still experiencing a substantial decline in patient volume due to patients foregoing critical treatment.”
As managed care and other value-based reimbursements become a bigger part of the equation, it will be even more important to conduct care in a way that makes the most of the limited funds health systems are given. One of the ways hospitals are able to achieve this is through a strategic partnership.
A strategic post-acute partnership strategy can aid in a successful transition to value-based care and help equip hospital staff and leadership with the resources to increase care quality and efficiency. This can help lead to reduced readmission risk and long-term cost savings for the entire health system.
Read our white paper, “Top five trends for 2022: Your hospital’s guide to improved performance” to learn more about the trends expected to impact the post-acute space in the coming years and how Kindred can help your hospital prepare.
References
- HFMA, (September 2021), Rehabilitation Service Live Survey, [PowerPoint Slides], Healthcare Financial Management Association