BRAVO! to Pipeline Health’s Los Angeles hospitals and the Patient Hub team that received a record 100 patient transfers to our hospitals in March. In fact, as of March 31, some 122 patients were transferred from other facilities into beds available for their care during that one month.
Also in March, the Patient Hub received its 1,000th patient transfer – another milestone – since the service launched in June 2022. As of March 31, a total of 1,022 patients have been accommodated through the patient transfer center.
Since its formal launch in June 2022, the Patient Hub has succeeded in bringing patients to our Pipeline Health hospitals in California while building a reputation for helpful service.
“We have seen growing interest in our Patient Hub for the transfer of eligible patients from hospitals where they are short on nurses or otherwise don’t have the capacity,” explained Kathy Jermain, Pipeline’s director of case management, who oversees the Patient Hub operations.
Eligible patients are those who require inpatient care with the services available at Pipeline’s LA hospitals and who have insurance authorization.
At the heart of the Patient Hub is a centralized call center staffed 24/7 by registered nurses. Using the Patient Hub hotline (877-632-7852), referring providers and medical facilities call a single point of contact to speak with a dedicated navigator who manages the patient’s journey to a bed in one of Pipeline’s hospitals.
“The patients who come to us through the Patient Hub benefit from receiving the care they need at a hospital covered by their insurance,” Jermain said. “The hospitals transferring patients to us benefit by the easy access we provide – one call does the job.”
One of the satisfied hospital partners is LA’s world-renowned Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
“We have formed a great partnership with Cedars,” Jermain said. “For example, we have helped them decompress their ED with LA Care patients who are eligible for care at our Pipeline hospitals. Our Cedars colleagues say we make the transfers easy and seamless.”
According to Rick Rufino, chief executive officer of East LA Doctors Hospital, Pipeline has proven that its Patient Hub model works. “This has been a great opportunity for us to enhance relationships with other hospitals and with payors,” he said. “They see us as partners, and we can have an even bigger impact in our service to our communities.”
Going forward, hospital leaders are working to increase the transfer volume. Jermain said that internal processes for accepting transfer patients continue to be refined as physicians, nurses and case managers work to create increased hospital capacity for accepting transfers.
4.5.2023