QHR Client Abbeville Launches New Program to Reduce Readmissions
Brentwood, TN (PRWEB) November 26, 2013 -- QHR client hospital Abbeville Area Medical Center (AAMC) and Abbeville County EMS (ACEMS), located in Abbeville, SC, recently launched a collaborative Community Paramedic Program, the first of its kind in South Carolina. The program provides home-based preventative care services for Abbeville residents and is expected to reduce avoidable ED visits by 20 percent over the next two years.
The program is funded by two grants: AAMC's two year $306,640 grant from The Duke Endowment and ACEMS' $25,000 grant from the SC Office of Rural Health (SCORH).
Led by Emergency Services Director David Porter, the program targets discharged patients identified as "frequent users." Community paramedics use physician orders at in-home visits for patients battling chronic illnesses such as congestive heart failure or diabetes. ACEMS community paramedic training includes a 15-week college-level course, hands-on lab sessions and 100 hours of clinical rotations.
"ACEMS enjoys a great working relationship with AAMC and the collaboration between our agencies on this innovative, first of its kind in the state, Community Paramedic project, will ultimately lead to a healthier and safer community," said David Porter, Abbeville County Emergency Services Director.
"AAMC is committed to improving the health of the communities we serve," said Rich Osmus, Abbeville Area Medical Center CEO. "With the assistance of ACEMS, we can bridge the gaps in care that often occur between the hospital, the physician's office and home."
"We are proud of the leadership and innovation at our client hospital," said James L. Horrar, President and CEO of Quorum Health Resources. "Abbeville's program is on the forefront of how today's hospitals should be thinking about alternative care delivery to reduce readmissions."
“This partnership has an incredible opportunity to increase the quality of the care we provide our patients,” said Mary Margaret Jackson, Chief Quality and Risk Officer at Abbeville Area Medical Center. "The program also reduces costly ED visits and unnecessary EMS calls."
About QHR (Quorum Health Resources)
QHR (Quorum Health Resources) has provided consulting, management and education resources to hospitals and health systems for three decades. QHR is the market leader in hospital management, serving more than 700 hospitals over the past 3 decades. As a consulting resource, QHR is consistently ranked among the top healthcare consulting firms in the nation, and the QHR Learning Institute reaches nearly 15,000 healthcare professionals each year. For more information, go to http://www.qhr.com.
Nicole Edwards, Quorum Health Resources, http://www.qhr.com, +1 (615) 371-4943, [email protected]
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