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Strange Bedfellows:. Thoughts on the Once and Future Role of Hospitals and Academic Medical Centers in the Care of Homeless Persons James J. O’Connell, M.D. Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program Departments of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Boston Medical Center
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Strange Bedfellows: Thoughts on the Once and Future Role of Hospitals and Academic Medical Centers in the Care of Homeless Persons James J. O’Connell, M.D. Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program Departments of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Boston Medical Center Presented at National Alliance to End Homelessness Conference July 2006
BHCHP Basic Goals 1984 • Establish a health services care delivery model to provide continuity of care from shelter and street to hospital; • Provide care through multidisciplinary outreach teams; • Establish the capacity to meet the needs of homeless individuals for home-type respite care O'Connell/BHCHP
City of BostonAnnual Census, 12/13/2004 • Among 3,944 homeless individuals identified on a single night census • 888 (22%) in medical/mental health facilities • 14 emergency departments • 286 medical hospitals • 84 medical respite beds (McInnis House) • 225 detox • 279 mental health hospitals/inpatient programs O'Connell/BHCHP
MGH Mission, 1810 “When in distress, every man becomes our neighbor…It is unnecessary to urge these truths on those who are already in the habit of cherishing them…The relief to be afforded to the poor, in a country so rich as ours, should perhaps be measured only by their necessities.” From the “Circular Letter” of 1810 of John C. Warren and James Jackson leading to establishment of the Massachusetts General Hospital O'Connell/BHCHP
26 random MGH charts reviewed of persons admitted to BMH during FY 2005 Ground rules: team or RN case manager describe patient as ready for D/C Number of days from that point until admission to BMH Conclusion: 48% potential reduction in ALOS with ready access to respite beds (i.e. no waiting list) Summary of results: 336 total days ALOS 12.9 days 159 “excess” days MGH/BHCHP Pilot Project O'Connell/BHCHP
From March through June, 19 admissions “fast tracked” from MGH to BMH 16 inpatient service 3 directly from EW Results: 110 total days 75 days “saved” Days “saved” determined by MGH RN case managers MGH/BHCHP Pilot Study O'Connell/BHCHP
Other Observations • Admission from MGH EW to BMH, discharged to Housing First after 100 days in respite care - 45 MGH EW visits in past year - 0 MGH EW visits since BMH admission and housing (6 months) • 5 persons currently at BMH with LOS greater than 90 days - 4/5 admitted directly from MGH O'Connell/BHCHP
BHCHP and ED High UtilizersBoston, 2005 • MGH: 16 BHCHP patients among top 25 • Accounted for a total of 344 ED visits • 35 visits (10%) resulted in hospital admission • 309 visits (90%) discharged from ED O'Connell/BHCHP
Hospitals and Homeless Persons:What are the numbers??? • 14,200 BHCHP adult patients seen in 2004-5 matched with Partners HealthCare database: 3283 common patients • 2090 (15%) seen at MGH • 1148 (8%) seen at BWH • only 259 of these 3283 served at both MGH/BWH O'Connell/BHCHP
BHCHP and Partners Healthcare2004-2005 • Hospital Admissions: MGH: 561 persons, 1114 admissions ALOS 7.5 days BWH: 269 persons, 506 admissions ALOS 4.2 days (OB-GYN) O'Connell/BHCHP
BHCHP and Partners’ Healthcare2004-2005 • Emergency Room Use: MGH: 1,515 persons (73% of 2,090) had total of 5,539 ED visits • Average # ED visits: 3.7 • 865 (16%) of ED visits resulted in admission BWH: 952 persons (83% of 1,148) had total of 2,836 ED visits • Average # ED visits: 3.0 • 319 (11%) of ED visits resulted in admission O'Connell/BHCHP
BHCHP and ED High UtilizersBoston, 2005 • Boston Medical Center 23/25 (92%) (Boston University Medical School) • New England Medical Center 14/25 (56%) (Tufts Medical School) • Massachusetts General Hospital 16/25 (64%) (Harvard Medical School) O'Connell/BHCHP