The PATHways awardees will receive $1.38M in total funding to support timely discharges to home, a contributing factor of increased lengths of stay and ED boarding
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Health Policy Commission (HPC) announced seven acute care hospital awardees in Massachusetts will receive $1.38 million total funding through the new Promoting Appropriate Transitions to Home (PATHways) investment program, supporting hospital-to-home programs and streamlining patient discharges to home care instead of skilled nursing facilities or other institutional settings.
Following a hospital stay, patients may face barriers setting up the appropriate services to enable them to discharge directly home or to a community-based setting, even when these may be the most appropriate settings for their continued care. The Massachusetts Transitions from Acute Care to Post Acute Care (TACPAC) Task Force found that each day, there are 2,000 patients on average that remain hospitalized despite being medically ready for discharge.
Along with quality impacts on patient care, challenges discharging patients from the inpatient setting exacerbate capacity constraints that result in increased lengths of hospital stays and emergency department boarding. The HPC has found that lengths of stay of greater than 30 days are increasing as a proportion of hospital stays, and account for half of the growth in bed days since 2016.
The PATHways program funds both new and existing partnerships between acute care hospitals in Massachusetts and Aging Services Access Points (ASAPs), organizations designed to connect residents over the age of 60 and their caregivers with programs and services to help them age in the community. ASAPs are uniquely positioned to help residents access the services necessary to discharge directly home. PATHways continues the model of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Aging and Independence (AGE)’s Hospital to Home Partnership Program, and aims to further bolster partnerships between hospitals and ASAPs to facilitate more hospital-to-home discharges.
“The seven new PATHways hospitals and their partners will connect patients with the support they need to discharge from hospitals and receive care in their homes and communities – a mission that is more critical now than ever, with estimates that on average 2,000 residents ready for discharge remain hospitalized each day,” said HPC Executive Director David Seltz. “The HPC is thrilled to partner with these hospitals and ASAPs across the Commonwealth to pursue our shared goals of decreasing health care cost growth, bolstering our hospitals’ capacity for patients who need that level of care, and ensuring that our residents are getting the care they need.”
“We are excited to collaborate with the Health Policy Commission on the PATHways Investment Program, and congratulate the seven awardees selected to strengthen care transitions across the Commonwealth,” said Aging & Independence Secretary Robin Lipson. “PATHways builds on the foundation of AGE’s Hospital to Home Partnership Program, which demonstrated that bringing the community resource expertise of ASAPs directly into the hospital setting and in the discharge planning process made a difference in more timely and satisfied discharges to community. We look forward to working with the HPC and the grant awardees to help these programs build stronger partnerships that improve the transition from hospital to home and create lasting benefits for patients and communities.”
PATHways Awardee Programs:
| Awardee | Award Amount |
|---|---|
| Berkshire Medical Center | $210,000 |
| Boston Medical Center | $210,000 |
| Holyoke Medical Center | $210,000 |
| Lowell General Hospital | $210,000 |
| MelroseWakefield Hospital | $124,700 |
| Southcoast Hospital | $201,424 |
| UMass Memorial HealthAlliance – Clinton Hospital | $210,000 |
Learn more about the PATHways investment program on the HPC’s website.
