Baraboo Ambulance EMT and St. Clare Hospital Reduce Readmissions

The Patient Protection and Affordability Care Act H.R. 3590 was signed by President Barack Obama in March 2010. Section 2717 describes a process to monitor hospital readmissions and improve patient safety. Section 3025 describes financial incentives to encourage hospitals to reduce readmissions. House H.R. 3962 section 1151 adjusts payments to hospitals to reduce potentially preventable readmissions.

Baraboo District Ambulance Service, St. Clare Hospital, the UW School of Medicine, Sauk County Public Health have joined to develop a community program to help reduce emergency room visits and hospital readmissions.

Financed through grant and foundation funds, partners in education will train paramedics to perform in home health care with the focus on preventing an emergency room visit, or hospital readmission. ER and hospital staff can refer a patient for paramedics to check on when they worry the right instruction needs to be done in the home.

This new pilot program is structured as a five year study , and scheduled to become self supportive. This is partners in health care altering the service structure to best meet the community need and accomidate the public funding source.

The service is not meant to be competition for existing home care providers, but an extra person who can come to the home and help with acute medical needs post hospitalization. Home Care Path www.homecarepath.com helps seniors with chronic long term needs at home in the Baraboo, Wisconsin area.