A collaborative surgical hospitalist program can improve patient outcomes, reduce length of stay, and lower costs, sustaining these results over a five year period of time, according to an article published in the July issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento, a tertiary referral community hospital with 654 beds in California, and Surgical Affiliates Management Group, one of the nation’s first and most experienced surgical hospitalist companies, established the program in 2007. Surgical Affiliates provides a team of surgeons, nurse practitioners and physician assistants for 24/7 coverage, to perform acute care surgeries that may be needed, round-the-clock.

Program results published in the Journal article showed these sustainable improvements over the five year period:

  • —Length of stay for general surgery cases decreased by as much as 12%—down from 6.5 days, to a low of 5.7 days.
  • —Reduced complications 43%—falling from a rate of 21% to 12%.
  • —Readmissions showed a downward trend, though this was not statistically significant. The important fact is that while length of stay significantly decreased, the readmission rate did not increase.
  • Decreased hospital costs—dropping 31%, from $12,009 to $8,306, indicating potential savings of $2 million (or more) in a single year for a facility of this type and size.

The Surgical Affiliates’ model is based on leadership from expert surgeons and executives, building outstanding surgical teams that follow evidence based guidelines in care delivery, and collaboration with the hospital staff to consistently improve patient care and safety.

To read an abstract of the study, “Sustainability and Success of the Acute Care Surgery Model in the Nontrauma Setting,” visit the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. To request a copy of the full article please visit Surgical Affiliates.

About Surgical Affiliates Management Group:

Surgical Affiliates Management Group is the first and only surgical hospitalist company with published, proven results that its programs improve patient care, lower costs, reduce readmissions, and enhance hospital throughput and capacity. Surgical Affiliates’ System of Care is a permanent solution to the challenge of providing 24/7 surgical care in the hospital and one that raises the level of hospital performance across the board, preparing these facilities for the world of pay-for-performance and accountable care models. The Surgical Affiliates’ System of Care for general surgery, trauma, and orthopedics is currently in use in hospitals ranging from rural facilities to large community hospitals to multi-hospital systems. For more information, visit Surgical Affiliates.

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