Inpatient Management, Inc. Unique Hospitalist Program Produces $5 Million Annualized Improvement

PRLog (Press Release) - Jul. 13, 2010 - Thomas Huth, M.D., the Vice President of Medical Affairs at Reid Hospital and Health Care Services in Richmond, Ind., recently completed a study presenting data that shows a bottom line annual improvement of $5,000,000 attributable to the hospitalist program.  As a hospital executive who oversees the Inpatient Management, Inc. (IMI) hospitalist program at Reid, his study, Results of a Dyad Hospitalist Leadership Model on Cost-Effectiveness and Throughput, focuses on how the model has significantly improved the hospital’s financial and clinical performance.  The model serves as a foundation and more importantly a solution for the changes to come in this era of healthcare reform.  

“The success we have seen with IMI’s dyad model is remarkable,” said Huth.  “Within 16 months of program implementation, Reid was exceeding clinical and financial performance goals.  The IMI dyad model and reporting tools have helped position Reid as a top competitor as well as increase our recruiting abilities.”  

In addition to the dyad leadership model of a Physician Director and Nurse Director, IMI provides a performance-based reporting tool in which Huth was able to identify key metrics and encourage the overall performance of the hospitalist program staff.  By carefully analyzing and reviewing the feedback on core measures, Reid recognized significant improvements in both clinical and financial performance.  As a result of the IMI hospitalist program implementation, Reid has seen:
o   Bottom line annualized improvement of $5,000,000
o   Average length of stay (ALOS) reduction of 0.75 days
o   65+ average daily encounters
o   Average cost per case reduction of $1,500
o   Readmission rates of less than 12%
o   Patient satisfaction scores of 96%
o   An increase in physician referrals

“The investment in the hospitalist program more than pays for itself,” said Huth.  “We have exceeded our performance goals for length-of-stay, average cost-per-case and physician referrals.  In our view, the hospitalist program will be a key factor in our success with this new era of healthcare reform for which lowering the cost of care, but not sacrificing quality, seems to be the main goal.”

In 2006, Reid Hospital and Health Care Services, a 250-bed acute care hospital, saw a decline in its referring primary care physician (PCP) base.  After studying trends and data projections, Huth saw the solution as a two-pronged approach.  First was the decision to begin employing their PCPs.  In addition, Huth found that many new physicians are less interested in managing inpatient care, so the necessity for a strong inpatient care program was recognized.  IMI’s use of a dyad hospitalist leadership model fit the bill.

Huth turned to IMI for program planning and implementation, and in 2008, Reid launched its hospitalist program.  The IMI program at Reid now includes 10 physicians, four midlevel providers and two Nurse Directors.  The streamlined leadership model allows the team to efficiently manage more than 70% of the hospital’s primary care admissions.  

“Traditionally, in most hospitalist programs, the physicians and maybe a lead physician are responsible for driving the goals of the organization, if those goals are even clear,” said Huth.  “But with the dyad model IMI offers, the Nurse Director becomes part of the program’s leadership and an integral part of the program.  By virtue of his or her understanding and knowledge of case management, the Nurse Director can leverage the physicians’ time and keep everyone focused on the goals.”

“Dyad leadership—the PhysicianDirector/Nurse Director model—is fundamental to IMI’s hospitalist program,” noted Terri Orf, IMI President and Chief Operating Officer.  “In our IM AdvanceMD element, the on-site Physician Director actively leads the hospitalist team as a collaborative group of clinical professionals.  It pairs with IM FocusRN where on-site Nurse Directors work seamlessly with IMI’s hospitalists, infusing the hospitalist program with operational efficiencies and enhancing effectiveness.”

The IMI dyad leadership model continually advances workflow processes, improves patient safety, and meets hospital strategic and financial goals. IM FocusRN creates a role for nurse executives that is dedicated to integrating care and communication within the hospital, with patients and with referring physicians. IM FocusRN nurse executives have strong clinical and case management experience that advance discharge planning, data capture and documentation, billing and scheduling.

The Reid program and performance study demonstrate the synergies of the IMI dyad leadership model.  “Even though we build in a higher cost structure because we have two additional personnel, our Nurse Directors, their support augments the effect of the entire team,” said Huth.  “While our Nurse Directors are not directly providing care or encounters, they contribute to much better results in terms of length of stay and cost per case, along with improved patient and physician satisfaction and other critical measures.”

For additional information and a copy of the study, please contact David Cornett, Director of Business Development at dcornett@inpatient.com or 636-449-6333.

# # #

About Inpatient Management, Inc.
Inpatient Management, Inc. (IMI), based in St. Louis, Mo., is a national provider of comprehensive hospitalist programs and consulting services. Independently owned and operated since 1997, IMI serves clients around the country including Missouri, Indiana, Illinois, Tennessee, Michigan, Nebraska, Kansas, North Carolina, Alabama and Washington. For more information about Inpatient Management, visit www.inpatient.com.