Finding Rehab Success
Key Benefits of Partnership

Many healthcare providers are seeking support from dedicated rehabilitation partners. Receiving support from a third-party team of rehab experts enables healthcare providers to reach the highest levels of performance in this niche and highly-regulated space. While the landscape has never been as challenging, there is also great opportunity. When identifying a rehabilitation partner, there are five key qualities that indicate long-term success.

This article outlines how rehab partners can support healthcare providers, the key qualities to look for in a partner and the top questions to ask a potential partner.

The Advantages of Support from an Acute Rehab Partner

Healthcare executives find partnerships preferable for a few key reasons, according to a recent survey by Deloitte. These reasons include:

1. Improved patient experience and enhanced overall performance with fewer in-house resources. Partners are able to take on much of the responsibility for program infrastructure, allowing providers to maximize their program value at minimal investment.
2. Increased patient access and improved employee retention.
3. Greater scale and speed to market.
4. Lower post-acute expenditures. The most effective partners can improve financial throughput by reducing several critical cost factors, including emergency room visits, stay lengths, readmissions and claim denials.

In a recent survey of healthcare executives, partnership was preferred over ownership.¹ Reasons included:

     • Scalability
     • Speed to market
     • Ability to focus on core competencies
     • Improved patient experience

Outsourcing acute rehab management requires less capital investment and expenses than ownership.

How the Right Partnership can Empower Providers

Issues Partnerships can Resolve:

Partnerships can improve quality of care, while reducing operational burden.

Top 5 Qualities That Make a Great Acute Rehab Partner

While the benefits are clear, not all partners are created equal. When evaluating a potential partner, the following five qualities are key indicators of long-term success.

1. Clinical and Quality Effectiveness
   Providers should look for partners who have experience helping programs achieve top quality certifications, such as CARF and The Joint Commission. Partners must be able to demonstrate clinical effectiveness with reduced readmission rates and better patient outcomes. Achieving high standards, like CARF, also helps your program stand out from others and can increase annual patients served by 26%.²
2. Proven Track Record in Optimizing Performance
   Suitable partners have already achieved impressive results for other healthcare providers. Having a proven track record demonstrates that the partner is able to achieve measurable results and make tangible changes, which translates into higher program quality and efficiency.
3. Robust Network of Medical Directors
   Rehab programs are already being impacted by the growing talent shortage. Strong medical directors are a key component to any successful program, but hard to identify and retain. Partners must have a strong network of medical directors who are focused on provider engagement.
4. Patient Throughput Management
   An effective partner should have a well-organized system for efficiently moving patients through phases of care. Careful management ensures that patients enter rehab when they need it and stay for the appropriate amount of time. Achieving this reduces readmission rates, lowers per-patient costs and increases patient satisfaction.
5. Expert Regulatory and Compliance Team
   The current unstable regulatory environment makes it challenging to assure compliance. An ideal partner will be up to the task with a highly competent regulatory and compliance team specialized in rehab. They should be able to keep abreast of the latest changes and prepare for regulation expansions, navigating the system’s intricacies to reduce denials.

Find Your Ideal Rehab Partner

The right partner can help you boost program performance and scale. Kindred Hospital Rehabilitation Services (KHRS) serves over 150 hospital-based rehab programs, optimizing program features ranging from staffing to compliance. Their accomplishments include successful appeal of 90% of all claims they manage, as well as a 99% reduction of management vacancies.

Finding the Right Partner: Key Questions to Ask

Further assess the quality of a potential partner by asking targeted questions:

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