This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
Need your help by July 21 to share data key to our advocacy on your behalf. We know the challenges when hospitals are unable to timely discharge patients, such as:
- Patients remain hospitalized longer than necessary.
- Emergency departments are clogged with patients awaiting an open bed.
- Ambulance crews are delayed in transferring patients to hospitals.
- Behavioral health patients awaiting discharge to the next level of care limits the hospitals’ ability to admit new patients and adds to the access crisis.
Earlier this week, hospital and health system CEOs received notice about an extension for this important information collection effort that has been in the field since mid-June.
CHA will now take responses to these questions, which aim to capture data on discharge delays, through July 21. We are asking hospital leaders who have not yet responded to these questions to work with their directors of case management, ED directors, and/or directors of psychiatric units to complete the information request. (Detailed instructions will help keep the total process to about an hour.)
As of today, we have responses from just over one-third of hospitals in California. Far more will be needed to ensure the data tell a complete story and will be compelling as we advocate on your behalf at the local, state, and federal levels.
On issues as complex as these, anecdotes only go so far in explaining to policymakers the true effect of discharge delays on patients, hospital capacity, staffing, and costs.
This is why this survey is so important. The data are critical for effective advocacy on ambulance patient offload times, improved care coordination, unreimbursed costs, and other issues. Please ask your teams to complete the survey today!
