Within today’s challenging healthcare environment, many providers are finding greater hospital success through rehabilitation partnership. Support through a rehabilitation joint-venture or acute management partner has resulted in quality improvement, cost savings and high-demand service line optimization. While the healthcare landscape has never been more challenging, this is a time of great opportunity.
To help ensure these benchmarks are achieved, a suitable partner must possess qualities that will produce successful outcomes for the facility, staff and its patients. These qualities include:
- Clinical and Quality Effectiveness
- Proven Track Record in Quickly Adapting to Industry Challenges and Optimizing Performance Based on Need
- Robust Network of Medical Directors
- Patient Throughput Management
- Expert Regulatory and Compliance Team
In addition to evaluating a partner based on these qualities, a health system must also be ready to ask critical questions to ensure a potential partner is well-equipped to handle the current and future trends of the healthcare environment.
Here are four key questions to ask a potential provider to best assess the quality of their services:
- How are you able to quickly adapt to the changing healthcare environment?
They should have access to national rehabilitation data from hospitals and hold a proven track record of helping partners succeed through times of adversity, all while continuing to provide clinical and operational excellence. - What do you do to decrease patient readmission risks?
To effectively minimize readmissions, candidates should have a clear and proven system for maximizing patient readiness for discharge. - What is your denial rate?
Denials are on the rise and can lead to significant expenses for providers. Ideal partners utilize thorough compliance and a successful claim appeal process to obtain a low denial rate. - Do you utilize technology for improving both provider and patient engagement?
The latest technologies should be used to enhance engagement among physicians, therapists and the patients themselves. Additionally, tech solutions should be leveraged to enhance communication between patients and family members, especially when family is separated by distance or visitor restrictions.
Asking these targeted questions will help your hospital make an informed decision on whether a specific partner will not only benefit your facility, but also the patients and community it serves.
Read our whitepaper, “Finding Rehab Success: Key Benefits of Partnership,” to discover if Lifepoint is the right partner for your hospital.
