Case Study

46% Reduction in Excess Patient Days

The Challenge

A two-hospital system in Alabama faced inefficiencies in its hospitalist program, staffed by residents from a nearby University School of Medicine and a local hospitalist group. The program struggled with chronic understaffing, poor collaboration on performance metrics, and extended patient stays, leading to an elevated geometric mean length of stay (GMLOS). This resulted in reduced patient throughput, low patient satisfaction, and financial strain on the hospital system.

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The Solution

In June 2021, the hospital system partnered exclusively with IN Compass Health to overhaul the hospitalist programs at both facilities. The redesigned program focused on:

  • Staffing: Recruited a full team of 32 physicians and 8 advanced practice providers (APPs).
  • Leadership: Established on-site medical leadership for the program.
  • Communication: Enhanced collaboration with community physicians, medical staff, and hospital administration.
  • Length of Stay (LOS): Improved patient throughput by reducing excess patient days and ensuring timely discharges.
  • Patient Satisfaction: Boosted HCAHPS scores through better hospitalist services.

A pilot program introduced geographic Multi-Disciplinary Daily Rounds (MDDR) on one patient floor, led by a hospitalist and a team including bedside nursing, a nurse manager, case manager, social worker, and pharmacist. The team conducted daily rounds, engaging patients and families, and tracked key metrics such as LOS versus expected GMLOS, daily discharges, discharge orders by 9 AM, excess days, deferred procedures, and diagnostic discrepancies.

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The Result

Within the first 30 days, the pilot program delivered significant improvements.

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80% Increase in weekly discharges
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88% Reduction in GMLOS

Dropping from 79% to 42% of patients with actual LOS exceeding expected LOS.

The success of the pilot has led to its expansion across the hospital system, further enhancing patient care and operational efficiency.