According to The Advocate, Baton Rouge is one of fourteen communities to receive federal funding to help reduce hospital re-admissions.
According to Gary Curtis , head of the Louisiana Health Care Review, in Louisiana 2 out of every 10 chronically ill patients are back in the hospital within 30 days of their release. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services said the re-admission and subsequent treatment add an additional $12 billion annually in Medicare cost on a nationwide basis.
Louisiana Health Care Review will be the entity leading the project. They will provide, with the patient’s consent, a transition coach who will provide one-on-one contact with the patients. The patients learns what questions to ask the doctors, understand their medical conditions including their personal health records, learn their medications, learn what to eat upon discharge, what are acceptable activities and symptoms of relapse. The main focus is on pneumonia, heart attack and congestive heart failure patients.
It is good to see that there are groups out there that are trying to curb health care cost as well as attempting to keep people healthier. If successful, the program will likely be a model for the entire U.S.
Keep up the good work, Louisiana!
Richard J. Arsenault, 2011
