Post-acute care remains a leading solution for patients with complex medical conditions and chronic illnesses. By offering a range of post-acute services, such as inpatient rehabilitation, hospitals would not only diversify their service offerings – an important strategy amid the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBA) – but improve patient outcomes and streamline hospital operations.
Further, forging a partnership through a joint venture (JV) or contract management agreement provides access to specialized expertise and support, which can lead to substantial cost savings for the entire health system.
Discover how rehabilitation partners can effectively support healthcare providers and the important questions to ask a potential partner.
The Advantages of Support from an Acute Rehab Partner
Partnering with a trusted post-acute provider can offer several benefits to a hospital's operations and patient outcomes. These benefits can include:
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- Lower post-acute expenditures. The most effective partners can improve financial performance by reducing critical cost factors like emergency room visits, lengths of stay, readmissions and claim denials.
- Enhanced performance with fewer in-house resources. Partners help share the burden of program infrastructure, allowing hospitals to maximize program value and minimize upfront costs.
- Improved patient and staff experience. Partnerships can lead to increased patient access to high-quality care and help improve employee retention by ensuring staff are equipped with the support, resources and training needed to address complex patient needs.
- Greater scale and speed to market. The right partner will have access to national rehab data and resources that allow hospitals to adapt quickly and meet growing demands.
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Finding the Right Partner: Key Questions to Ask
Further assess the quality of a potential partner by asking these targeted questions:
| Question | Insight |
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How are you able to quickly adapt to the changing healthcare environment? |
They should have access to national rehab 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. |
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What are your quality metrics? |
A partner that gets results has an evaluation system that goes beyond the minimal government requirements and assesses the most important performance benchmarks, such as changes in QI, PEM and discharge-to-community rates. |
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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. |
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How do you drive clinical efficiency? |
Their answer should list practical actions that have a measurable effect on clinical efficiency. |
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What is your denial rate? |
Denials add up to significant expenses for providers. Ideal partners utilize thorough compliance and a successful claim appeal process to obtain a low denial rate. |
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Can your technology proactively identify potential regulatory issues? |
Implementing flagging software can minimize resources devoted to resolving regulatory problems. |
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How do you promote patient advocacy and improve access to care? |
Highly trained clinical liaisons should be prominent figures in partner plans for enhancing patient access and engagement. The right partner will implement latest best practices to help ensure patients in need of inpatient rehab receive care in a safe environment. |
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How do you promote provider retention and engagement? |
Optimizing staff retention is crucial, as clinical vacancies can negatively affect both patient outcomes and a hospital's finances. Partners should place special focus on training and career development opportunities where hospital employees report lowest satisfaction rates. Partners should also have access to a strong network of physicians, therapists and nurses. |
Find Your Ideal Rehab Partner
Gaining support from a third-party team of rehabilitation experts enables healthcare providers to reach the highest levels of performance in a specialized and highly regulated area. This allows hospitals to better serve their patients, while also optimizing operations and improving the quality of care and patient satisfaction.
Contact us to learn how Lifepoint Rehabilitation can help your hospital address key concerns around patient care, staffing challenges and regulatory shifts.
