Irving, Texas- based VHA Inc., the national health care network, is launching its VHA Door-to-Discharge program to help hospitals trim millions of dollars from their high-cost cardiology, orthopedics and spine service line procedures. The new program will help health care organizations reduce their total case cost and strengthen their bottom line.
Recent industry research indicates that hospitals need to reduce their costs by more than $1,000 per case as health care transitions to a value-based purchasing model with lower reimbursements from both Medicare and commercial payers.
Door-to-Discharge takes a comprehensive, patient-centered approach focusing on clinical integration to improve utilization and streamline care delivery. Participating hospitals can decrease their utilization costs by as much as 30 percent, streamline patient flow by up to 40 percent, and reduce supply acquisition costs by up to 25 percent, yielding millions in cost savings in as few as 12 months. The program also will help hospitals lower re-admissions and decrease mortality, yielding additional savings while improving patient care.
Viewing each patient's case as a single episode of care, VHA's clinical experts are applying Lean Management and Six Sigma methodologies to collect and analyze information on all aspects of the patient's clinical condition and hospital stay. Examining the patient's encounter from entry point through discharge, the work uncovers opportunities to streamline processes, optimize productivity and improve patient care.
