The vision
An academic health system operating at over 100% of census increased efforts to safely transition acute patients to home-based care. These efforts had helped increase capacity, but leaders were at a crossroads. The program couldn’t qualify for the Medicare hospital at home waiver, and costs were soaring. With the program on the verge of elimination, leaders wanted to know whether they could sustain it—and how.
Co-creating the solution
The health system partnered with Chartis to conduct an in-depth analysis of its home-based post-acute program, including staffing models, vendors, workflows, and costs. Using Chartis’ benchmarks of programs nationwide, the team pinpointed opportunities to lower costs in line with best practices.
Interviews with clinical, operational, and finance leaders helped overcome communication barriers for productive discussions about capacity management, costs, and value creation. The team modeled out alternative operating frameworks, including virtual profit and loss statements, mapped against program growth.
Believe in better
The home-based post-acute program now has a solid foundation for sustainability and growth. Operating model changes include greater clinical insourcing, logistical infrastructure changes, and new partners for certain technologies and remote patient monitoring. Leaders are also equipped with better internal collaboration and benchmarking insights. The program is now set up to sustainably promote access, health equity, and a positive patient experience.
