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CMW Tip of the Week: Case management weekend coverage

Case Management Weekly, February 4, 2009

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This week’s tip, an Ask the Expert, was submitted by a Case Management Weekly reader and answered by Wendy DeVreugd, RN, BSN, PHN, FNP, regional senior director of case management at Kindred Health Care in Westminster, CA.

Q: Can you please tell me your thoughts on full weekend staff for case management?

A: It depends on the facility, payer contracts, patient census, and historical data on avoidable days/delays in weekend discharge planning. Patient care management and discharges occur seven days a week (not just Monday through Friday). A weekend case manager (or staff in appropriate numbers to handle weekend census and discharge referrals) may turn out to be cost-efficient and absolutely necessary if you can identify opportunities to increase effective discharge planning on weekends, reduce patient flow delays and avoidable days, increase appropriate arrangements for testing (e.g., outside MRIs, CTs), transportation monitoring of appropriate ambulance use, and evaluate one-day acute vs. observation level of care admissions through the emergency department and physician offices.
 
Have a tip or tool you’d like to share? Or maybe a question for our experts? E-mail it to editor Julie McGinley at jmcginley@hcpro.com.Your thoughts could be featured in the next issue of Case Management Weekly!

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