News, announcements, and vital information for associates, their families, and friends of Kenmore Mercy Hospital. Se pte mb e r 2Ma 0 1 3rch 2 0 1 4
Kenmore Mercy Leads the Way in Lower Readmission Rates in Western New York In a recent report by Kaiser Health News, Kenmore Mercy Hospital was singled out with better than average readmissions rates.
Antonina DiCarlo and Rob Morello (center) were recognized by Craig Fetterman, MD, and Jim Millard, president & CEO.
Medical Staff Associates of the Year Announced Physicians at Kenmore Mercy Hospital have chosen Rob Morello, RN, from the Interventional Radiology Department, and Antonina DiCarlo, RN, a case manager in the Care Management Department, to receive the hospital’s Annual Medical Staff Associate of the Year Award for 2013. This award recognizes outstanding associates for their service to patients and staff. Rob is a graduate of Niagara County Community College with a Nursing degree. After working for Niagara Falls Memorial, he joined Kenmore Mercy Hospital as an Intensive Care Unit nurse. He has also worked in the hospital’s Emergency Department, served on the Soarian clinical team as an analyst, and is currently with the Interventional Radiology Department.
Antonina is a graduate of D’Youville College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. Prior to joining Kenmore Mercy, she worked at Millard Fillmore Hospital as staff and charge nurse, Staff Builders Homecare as an infection control nurse, Home Care Support as a training coordinator, and for the Visiting Nursing Association as a branch manager.
At the other end of the spectrum, recent Medicare data shows about eight percent of hospitals, including some of the most prominent hospitals in the country, have overall readmission rates that exceed the national average, according to the report. All other Western New York’s hospitals, except Mercy Hospital which also has better than average readmission rates, were rated as average or below average.
The data examines all hospital-wide unplanned readmissions for Medicare patients who returned to the hospital within one month of their original visit. Kenmore Mercy was among 315 hospitals, or 7 percent of those rated across the country, whose patients were readmitted at a lower rate than the national average.
Through better care coordination and improved patient engagement, during and post discharge, Kenmore Mercy has seen a 15 percent decrease per month in medical admissions. “I’m pleased that Kenmore Mercy Hospital has remained ahead of the curve, addressing typical readmission issues through its clinical integration and quality initiatives,” said Becky DelPrince, RN, manager of Care Management and the hospital’s lead for clinical integration projects.
Examples of recent initiatives include:
Michelle Rainville, MD, and Michelle Shea, case manager, discuss a patient case in the Emergency Department.
Physician Initiatives • Standardization of testing for patients with congestive heart failure • Implementation of syncope protocol Patient Care Unit Initiatives • Proactive work with patients on their post-discharge care plan by: - Scheduling physician appointments prior to discharge - Reviewing medications and follow-up calls by nursing staff and pharmacists
Emergency Department Initiatives • Expansion of the Emergency Department discharge process by referring patients to: - Rehabilitation - Catholic Medical Partners’ physician offices - Clinics - McAuley Seton HomeCare • Increased use of observation status Readmission rates are significant because they are used to determine financial penalties for hospitals that participate with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services government healthcare programs.