Alternative recovery area reduces LOS by two days
December 1, 1997
Alternative recovery area reduces LOS by two days
Patients maintain their independence
By Kathy C. Fox, MSN, RN
Cardiac Service Line Director
St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers
Beech Grove, IN
Patients awaiting open-heart surgery are often confused when they’re shown to their rooms in the Alternative Recovery Area (ARA) at St. Francis Hospital and Health Centers in Beech Grove, IN. Is this a hotel or a hospital?
Cardiac surgeons first came up with the idea of providing convenient overnight accommodations for their out-of-town patients. Their concept has expanded over the last few years to become much more and has resulted in satisfied patients, lowered costs, and lengths of stay reduced by a minimum of two days.
Several years ago, the cardiac surgeons at St. Francis inquired about reserving a couple of guest rooms at a local hotel for their patients who come from a long distance. They would be able to come to town the day before surgery, have their preoperative testing, and then stay overnight in comfortable surroundings with spouse or family. Patients appreciated the convenience, and preoperative length of stay was reduced by one day.
The concept of guest rooms for patients was so popular that four years ago the ARA opened on the second floor of St. Francis. Six handicapped-accessible guest rooms are equipped with everything you’d expect in a hotel room including a television and VCR so patients can view educational tapes about their upcoming open-heart surgeries and postoperative care. A community room is equipped with a kitchen complete with heart-healthy snacks and over-the-counter medications such as antacids and analgesics, as well as a library of videos and books.
There is no charge for the use of the ARA. Meals, phones, and use of the facilities are completely free. The patient pays only for their outpatient tests.
Post-op care too, and only 2 readmissions
The ARA concept was expanded three years ago to include postoperative stays. Often patients are physically ready to be dismissed following surgery but are unsure of their ability to care for themselves at home. Those patients can be discharged to the ARA provided they are accompanied by family members who are willing to stay and assist with care. Patients must be able to ambulate 500 feet and meet other hospital discharge criteria. Once patients reach the ARA, they are considered outpatients.
The rooms are next to a cardiac surgery unit so there’s close contact between patients and medical staff. If the patient requires extra help, the staff of the step-down unit are readily available. In the event the patient requires emergency support or readmission, the nursing staff can quickly respond. In three years of operation and about 450 patients, there have only been two readmissions from the ARA.
The six ARA rooms are in high demand so a priority listing is maintained. Preoperative patients are admitted first, postoperative second. Remaining rooms are available to family members with critically ill patients in the open-heart unit.
The ARA has helped numerous patients and family members receive the teaching and medical supervision they need, while allowing them to maintain independence. One postoperative patient recalls his experience there. "The quality of treatment I received at St. Francis is the main reason for my recovery. The night I spent in the [ARA] was a step in the right direction in getting ready to go home. It got me used to the idea of taking care of myself and learning how to take and adjust my medications."
You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
- Award-winning Medical Content
- Latest Advances & Development in Medicine
- Unbiased Content