Dayton General Hospital, Reducing Readmissions

A recent article by Washington State Hospital Association, WSHA, recognized Dayton General Hospital for dropping our 30-day readmission rate from 25% to 0.0% from first quarter of 2010. Courtney Gritman, our Quality Assurance nurse, was quoted as saying, “Because we have a small, strong community we know what resources are available and we can pool them. We know the patients’ socioeconomic backgrounds, and whether or not they have someone at home to care for them. And we can make sure they have what they need to recover when they go home.”

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This sums up nicely where patient care is going: Healthcare is becoming a community solution, not just about a clinic or hospital. Nation wide, healthcare organizations are working towards the “ACO and Medical Home” models of care. ACO’s are Accountable Care Organizations and are partnerships between physicians, hospitals, clinics, patients, and other community healthcare providers to create a “system of care.” Columbia County Health System is already implementing many of these concepts.