Assignment task:
In response to your peers, share your experience with a similar problem and share any insights that you have gained from that experience.
Chantel Discussion:
Hello Class!
My name is Chantel, and I am from Long Island, NY. I am excited to be part of this class as I work toward earning my master's in healthcare administration. I entered this field 20 years ago because of my passion for improving health outcomes and making a meaningful impact behind the scenes in healthcare operations. Currently, I serve as a manager in Patient Financial Services for a major hospital system, with the long-term goal of advancing to a Revenue Cycle Director role.
Beyond my professional aspirations, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, cooking, gardening, and traveling, especially cruising. I am eager to see how this course will deepen my understanding of healthcare strategy, leadership, and financial management, helping me develop the critical thinking and problem-solving skills necessary to drive meaningful improvements in healthcare operations. I look forward to learning from both the coursework and my classmates' diverse experiences.
Preliminary Capstone Topic: Reducing 30-Day Readmission Rates for AMI
For my capstone project, I will focus on reducing 30-day readmission rates for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients at a hospital. From 2010 to 2019, there were 592,015 30-day and 787,008 90-day readmissions following AMI hospitalization. During this period, 30-day readmission rates declined from 12.8% to 11.6% and 90-day rates from 20.6% to 18.8%, with significant reductions observed both before and after the implementation of the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP). According to Sana et al. (2023), "Secondary analysis showed a trend towards increase in mean length of stay (4.54-4.96 days, P=0.0001) and adjusted total cost ($13,449-$16,938) in 30-day all cause readmission for AMI in the decade under review" (p. 2).
Based on my research and experience, this project will explore evidence-based strategies-including structured follow-up care-to improve transitional care and reduce preventable AMI readmissions.
Target Audience & Project Impact
The target audience for my proposal will be executive leadership team, hospital administrators, and quality improvement directors. By addressing AMI readmissions, this initiative will:
- Improve patient outcomes by ensuring better discharge planning, medication adherence, and follow-up care.
- Reduce hospital costs and financial penalties by lowering readmission rates. Need Assignment Help?
References
Sana, M., Kumi, D., Park, D., Asemota, I., DeAngelo, S., Yilmaz, M., Hammo, H., Shaka, H., & Vij, A. (2023). Impact of Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program Policy on 30-Day and 90-Day Readmissions in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction: A 10-Year Trend from the National Readmissions Database. Current Problems in Cardiology, 48(7), 101696.
Danielle Discussion:
Hi, my name is Danielle, and I am from Oakdale, Connecticut. I have been a nurse for 12 years, with experience in blood banking, primary care, and skilled nursing facilities. Through this course, I plan to build on my nursing background by applying healthcare administration principles to improve quality while maintaining cost-effectiveness for all stakeholders.
One major challenge I have encountered in both primary care and skilled nursing facilities is preventing hospital readmissions after patients are discharged back into the community. These discharges may be to a patient's home, an assisted living facility, or a group home. One study found that the average readmission rate is around 14%, with an average cost of $15,200 per readmission (Beauvais et al., 2022). While programs like Transitional Care Management (TCM) and services like visiting nurses exist, gaps remain in ensuring a smooth transition and that all information regarding patients' admission and discharge instructions is relayed to the primary care provider. From a primary care perspective, we often did not receive timely notification that a patient had been discharged, making it difficult to coordinate follow-up care. Access to key documentation, such as W-10 forms or updated medication lists, was frequently delayed, sometimes requiring multiple follow-up calls. Medications are often discontinued or changed during admission at the hospital or SNF, with no explanations relayed to the primary care provider.
Additionally, reimbursement restrictions further complicate care coordination for primary care providers. For example, if a patient is receiving nursing services, providers are unable to bill for TCM services. Beyond administrative barriers, many patients also lack essential resources, such as transportation to follow-up appointments or assistance with meal preparation. While transitional care programs exist, persistent gaps hinder a truly comprehensive approach to post-discharge care. The target audience will be hospital and nursing home administrators, and primary care providers.
Reference:
Beauvais B, Whitaker Z, Kim F, & Anderson B. (2022). Is the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program Associated with Reduced Hospital Readmissions? Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare. 15, 1089-1099