As hospitals are hit with first penalties, community-based efforts aim to reduce readmissions

Penalties for hospitals with readmission rates that are too high kick in this week. In the Philadelphia area, five have been assessed the maximum penalty, a 1 percent cut to Medicare payments for the year.

One of those is Pennsylvania Hospital. In the very same health system, the Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania is being penalized almost nothing.

See the penalties for our area »

Penn Health System chief medical officer Dr. P.J. Brennan said those disparate rates reflect differences in services provided and patient profiles at each hospital.

“We have a systemwide initiative to prevent readmissions, and the initiative has been more successful at some places and less successful at others,” Brennan said. “It probably reflects differences in the patient populations and perhaps differences in execution.”

Hospital administrators are quick to point out they can’t prevent all readmissions, especially for folks who don’t have the support at home to stay healthy.

Brennan said the readmission prevention program is about to expand, and others in the region are starting up.

This week, St. Joseph’s University health services professor Ilene Warner-Maron is preaching her message at a regional conference on aging hosted by the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging — that cutting costly readmissions is not solely the hospital’s responsibility.

“You can get them out of heart failure, you can control diabetes, but the issue is what happens when they go back home,” Warner-Maron said, “when there’s no doctor or nurse telling them to eat this or take this medicine.”

She held up as a good example of community-based support a new program the PCA offers patients at Einstein and Temple hospitals. In the program, a case worker will visit homes on the second day after a client is discharged to address daily needs.

“To look at, where are your medicines? Do you actually have them in the house?” Warner-Maron said. “How are you going to get food? Do I need to call your family and say look, there’s no food in this house, you need to help out?”

Still, even these community-based interventions only work if a patient is willing to welcome a case worker into his or her home.

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[‘Bayhealth – Kent General Hospital’,’Dover’,’Del’,.32],
[‘Bayhealth – Milford Memorial Hospital’,’Milford’,’Del’,0],
[‘Beebe Medical Center’,’Lewes’,’Del’,.07],
[‘Christiana Care Health Services, Inc.’,’Newark’,’Del’,0],
[‘Nanticoke Memorial Hospital’,’Seaford’,’Del’,0],
[‘St Francis Healthcare’,’Wilmington’,’Del’,.66],
[‘Atlanticare Regional Medical Center – City Div’,’Atlantic City’,’N.J.’,.56],
[‘Bayonne Hospital Center’,’Bayonne’,’N.J.’,1.00],
[‘Bayshore Community Hospital’,’Holmdel’,’N.J.’,1.00],
[‘Bergen Regional Medical Center’,’Paramus’,’N.J.’,.36],
[‘Cape Regional Medical Center Inc’,’Cape May Court House’,’N.J.’,.61],
[‘Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell’,’Pennington’,’N.J.’,.50],
[‘Capital Health System-fuld Campus’,’Trenton’,’N.J.’,.38],
[‘Centrastate Medical Center’,’Freehold’,’N.J.’,1.00],
[‘Chilton Hospital’,’Pompton Plains’,’N.J.’,.27],
[‘Christ Hospital’,’Jersey City’,’N.J.’,1.00],
[‘Clara Maass Medical Center’,’Belleville’,’N.J.’,.78],
[‘Community Medical Center’,’Toms River’,’N.J.’,.72],
[‘Cooper University Hospital’,’Camden’,’N.J.’,.96],
[‘Deborah Heart And Lung Center’,’Browns Mills’,’N.J.’,.98],
[‘East Orange General Hospital’,’East Orange’,’N.J.’,1.00],
[‘Englewood Hospital And Medical Center’,’Englewood’,’N.J.’,.36],
[‘Hackensack University Medical Center’,’Hackensack’,’N.J.’,1.00],
[‘Hackettstown Regional Medical Center’,’Hackettstown’,’N.J.’,.84],
[‘Hoboken University Medical Center’,’Hoboken’,’N.J.’,1.00],
[‘Holy Name Medical Center’,’Teaneck’,’N.J.’,1.00],
[‘Hunterdon Medical Center’,’Flemington’,’N.J.’,.09],
[‘Jersey Shore University Medical Center’,’Neptune’,’N.J.’,.55],
[‘Jfk Medical Ctr – Anthony M. Yelencsics Community’,’Edison’,’N.J.’,.42],
[‘Kennedy University Hospital – Stratford Div’,’Stratford’,’N.J.’,1.00],
[‘Kimball Medical Center’,’Lakewood’,’N.J.’,1.00],
[‘Libertyhealth-jersey City Medical Center Campus’,’Jersey City’,’N.J.’,1.00],
[‘Lourdes Medical Center Of Burlington County’,’Willingboro’,’N.J.’,.51],
[‘Meadowlands Hospital Medical Center’,’Secaucus’,’N.J.’,.75],
[‘Memorial Hospital Of Salem County’,’Salem’,’N.J.’,1.00],
[‘Monmouth Medical Center’,’Long Branch’,’N.J.’,.24],
[‘Morristown Memorial Hospital’,’Morristown’,’N.J.’,0],
[‘Mountainside Hospital’,’Montclair’,’N.J.’,.19],
[‘Newark Beth Israel Medical Center’,’Newark’,’N.J.’,1.00],
[‘Newton Memorial Hospital’,’Newton’,’N.J.’,.60],
[‘Ocean Medical Center’,’Brick’,’N.J.’,.69],
[‘Our Lady Of Lourdes Medical Center’,’Camden’,’N.J.’,.55],
[‘Overlook Hospital’,’Summit’,’N.J.’,0],
[‘Palisades Medical Ctr-ny Presbyterian Healthcare S’,’North Bergen’,’N.J.’,1.00],
[‘Raritan Bay Medical Center’,’Perth Amboy’,’N.J.’,1.00],
[‘Riverview Medical Center’,’Red Bank’,’N.J.’,.58],
[‘Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital’,’New Brunswick’,’N.J.’,.81],
[‘Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital At Rahway’,’Rahway’,’N.J.’,1.00],
[‘Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton’,’Hamilton’,’N.J.’,.97],
[‘Saint Barnabas Medical Center’,’Livingston’,’N.J.’,.21],
[‘Saint Clare’s Hospital’,’Denville’,’N.J.’,.70],
[‘Saint Clare’s Hospital/sussex’,’Sussex’,’N.J.’,.38],
[‘Saint Michael’s Medical Center, Inc’,’Newark’,’N.J.’,1.00],
[‘Saint Peter’s University Hospital’,’New Brunswick’,’N.J.’,1.00],
[‘Shore Medical Center’,’Somers Point’,’N.J.’,.20],
[‘Somerset Medical Center’,’Somerville’,’N.J.’,.85],
[‘South Jersey Healthcare Regional Medical Center’,’Vineland’,’N.J.’,.17],
[‘South Jersey Healthcare-elmer Hospital’,’Elmer’,’N.J.’,.08],
[‘Southern Ocean Medical Center’,’Manahawkin’,’N.J.’,.17],
[‘St Francis Medical Center’,’Trenton’,’N.J.’,1.00],
[‘St Joseph’s Regional Medical Center’,’Paterson’,’N.J.’,1.00],
[‘St Luke’s Warren Hospital’,’Phillipsburg’,’N.J.’,.39],
[‘St Mary’s Hospital, Passaic’,’Passaic’,’N.J.’,1.00],
[‘Trinitas Regional Medical Center’,’Elizabeth’,’N.J.’,.72],
[‘Umdnj University Hospital’,’Newark’,’N.J.’,.58],
[‘Underwood – Memorial Hospital’,’Woodbury’,’N.J.’,1.00],
[‘Univ Medical Center Of Princeton At Plainsboro’,’Plainsboro’,’N.J.’,.24],
[‘Valley Hospital’,’Ridgewood’,’N.J.’,1.00],
[‘Virtua Memorial Hospital Of Burlington County’,’Mount Holly’,’N.J.’,.10],
[‘Virtua West Jersey Hospitals Berlin’,’Berlin’,’N.J.’,.71],
[‘Abington Memorial Hospital’,’Abington’,’Pa.’,.32],
[‘Acmh Hospital’,’Kittanning’,’Pa.’,0],
[‘Advanced Surgical Hospital’,’Washington’,’Pa.’,0],
[‘Albert Einstein Medical Center’,’Philadelphia’,’Pa.’,.54],
[‘Alle Kiski Medical Center’,’Natrona’,’Pa.’,1.00],
[‘Allegheny General Hospital’,’Pittsburgh’,’Pa.’,.31],
[‘Altoona Regional Health System’,’Altoona’,’Pa.’,.01],
[‘Aria Health’,’Philadelphia’,’Pa.’,1.00],
[‘Berwick Hospital Center’,’Berwick’,’Pa.’,.63],
[‘Bloomsburg Hospital’,’Bloomsburg’,’Pa.’,.75],
[‘Bradford Regional Medical Center’,’Bradford’,’Pa.’,.04],
[‘Brandywine Hospital’,’Coatesville’,’Pa.’,0],
[‘Bucks County Specialty Hospital’,’Bensalem’,’Pa.’,0],
[‘Butler Memorial Hospital’,’Butler’,’Pa.’,.87],
[‘Cancer Treatment Centers Of America’,’Philadelphia’,’Pa.’,0],
[‘Canonsburg General Hospital’,’Canonsburg’,’Pa.’,.02],
[‘Carlisle Regional Medical Center’,’Carlisle’,’Pa.’,.12],
[‘Chambersburg Hospital’,’Chambersburg’,’Pa.’,0],
[‘Chester County Hospital’,’West Chester’,’Pa.’,.13],
[‘Chestnut Hill Hospital’,’Philadelphia’,’Pa.’,1.00],
[‘Clarion Hospital’,’Clarion’,’Pa.’,.48],
[‘Clearfield Hospital’,’Clearfield’,’Pa.’,1.00],
[‘Community Medical Center’,’Scranton’,’Pa.’,0],
[‘Conemaugh Valley Memorial Hospital’,’Johnstown’,’Pa.’,.34],
[‘Coordinated Health Orthopedic Hospital’,’Bethlehem’,’Pa.’,0],
[‘Crozer Chester Medical Center’,’Upland’,’Pa.’,.57],
[‘Delaware County Memorial Hospital’,’Drexel Hill’,’Pa.’,.55],
[‘Doylestown Hospital’,’Doylestown’,’Pa.’,0],
[‘Dubois Regional Medical Center’,’Dubois’,’Pa.’,0],
[‘Eagleville Hospital’,’Eagleville’,’Pa.’,0],
[‘Easton Hospital’,’Easton’,’Pa.’,1.00],
[‘Edgewood Surgical Hospital’,’Transfer’,’Pa.’,0],
[‘Elk Regional Health Center’,’Saint Marys’,’Pa.’,.61],
[‘Ellwood City Hospital’,’Ellwood City’,’Pa.’,.30],
[‘Ephrata Community Hospital’,’Ephrata’,’Pa.’,.14],
[‘Evangelical Community Hospital’,’Lewisburg’,’Pa.’,0],
[‘Excela Health Frick Hospital’,’Mount Pleasant’,’Pa.’,1.00],
[‘Excela Health Latrobe Hospital’,’Latrobe’,’Pa.’,.27],
[‘Excela Health Westmoreland Regional Hospital’,’Greensburg’,’Pa.’,.59],
[‘Geisinger Medical Center’,’Danville’,’Pa.’,.02],
[‘Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center’,’Wilkes Barre’,’Pa.’,.04],
[‘Gettysburg Hospital’,’Gettysburg’,’Pa.’,.08],
[‘Gnaden Huetten Memorial Hospital’,’Lehighton’,’Pa.’,.16],
[‘Good Samaritan Hospital’,’Lebanon’,’Pa.’,.03],
[‘Grand View Hospital’,’Sellersville’,’Pa.’,.14],
[‘Grove City Medical Center’,’Grove City’,’Pa.’,0],
[‘Hahnemann University Hospital’,’Philadelphia’,’Pa.’,.86],
[‘Hanover Hospital’,’Hanover’,’Pa.’,0],
[‘Hazleton General Hospital’,’Hazleton’,’Pa.’,1.00],
[‘Heart Of Lancaster Regional Medical Center’,’Lititz’,’Pa.’,0],
[‘Heritage Valley Beaver’,’Beaver’,’Pa.’,.77],
[‘Heritage Valley Sewickley’,’Sewickley’,’Pa.’,.23],
[‘Highlands Hospital’,’Connellsville’,’Pa.’,.41],
[‘Holy Redeemer Hospital And Medical Center’,’Meadowbrook’,’Pa.’,.32],
[‘Holy Spirit Hospital’,’Camp Hill’,’Pa.’,.22],
[‘Hospital Of Univ Of Pennsylvania’,’Philadelphia’,’Pa.’,.02],
[‘Indiana Regional Medical Center’,’Indiana’,’Pa.’,.73],
[‘J C Blair Memorial Hospital’,’Huntingdon’,’Pa.’,.01],
[‘Jameson Memorial Hospital’,’New Castle’,’Pa.’,1.00],
[‘Jeanes Hospital’,’Philadelphia’,’Pa.’,.64],
[‘Jefferson Regional Medical Center’,’Pittsburgh’,’Pa.’,.45],
[‘Jennersville Regional Hospital’,’West Grove’,’Pa.’,1.00],
[‘Kane Community Hospital’,’Kane’,’Pa.’,.75],
[‘Kensington Hospital’,’Philadelphia’,’Pa.’,0],
[‘Lancaster General Hospital’,’Lancaster’,’Pa.’,0],
[‘Lancaster Regional Medical Center’,’Lancaster’,’Pa.’,.29],
[‘Lansdale Hospital’,’Lansdale’,’Pa.’,.65],
[‘Lehigh Valley Hospital’,’Allentown’,’Pa.’,.23],
[‘Lehigh Valley Hospital – Muhlenberg’,’Bethlehem’,’Pa.’,.51],
[‘Lewistown Hospital’,’Lewistown’,’Pa.’,1.00],
[‘Lock Haven Hospital’,’Lock Haven’,’Pa.’,0],
[‘Lower Bucks Hospital’,’Bristol’,’Pa.’,.72],
[‘Magee Womens Hospital Of Upmc Health System’,’Pittsburgh’,’Pa.’,.04],
[‘Main Line Hospital Bryn Mawr Campus’,’Bryn Mawr’,’Pa.’,.55],
[‘Main Line Hospital Lankenau’,’Wynnewood’,’Pa.’,.30],
[‘Main Line Hospital Paoli’,’Paoli’,’Pa.’,0],
[‘Marian Community Hospital’,’Carbondale’,’Pa.’,1.00],
[‘Meadville Medical Center’,’Meadville’,’Pa.’,.03],
[‘Memorial Hospital York’,’York’,’Pa.’,1.00],
[‘Memorial Hospital, Inc Towanda’,’Towanda’,’Pa.’,0],
[‘Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital’,’Darby’,’Pa.’,1.00],
[‘Mercy Suburban Hospital’,’Norristown’,’Pa.’,.19],
[‘Millcreek Community Hospital’,’Erie’,’Pa.’,.85],
[‘Milton S Hershey Medical Center’,’Hershey’,’Pa.’,0],
[‘Miners Medical Center’,’Hastings’,’Pa.’,0],
[‘Monongahela Valley Hospital’,’Monongahela’,’Pa.’,.56],
[‘Montgomery Hospital’,’Norristown’,’Pa.’,.24],
[‘Moses Taylor Hospital’,’Scranton’,’Pa.’,.03],
[‘Mount Nittany Medical Center’,’State College’,’Pa.’,.28],
[‘Nason Hospital’,’Roaring Spring’,’Pa.’,.46],
[‘Nazareth Hospital’,’Philadelphia’,’Pa.’,1.00],
[‘Ohio Valley General Hospital’,’Mckees Rocks’,’Pa.’,.32],
[‘Oss Orthopaedic Hospital’,’York’,’Pa.’,0],
[‘Palmerton Hospital’,’Palmerton’,’Pa.’,.35],
[‘Penn Presbyterian Medical Center’,’Philadelphia’,’Pa.’,.06],
[‘Pennsylvania Hosp Of The Univ Of Pa Health Sys’,’Philadelphia’,’Pa.’,1.00],
[‘Phoenixville Hospital’,’Phoenixville’,’Pa.’,1.00],
[‘Physician’s Care Surgical Hospital’,’Royersford’,’Pa.’,0],
[‘Pinnacle Health Hospitals’,’Harrisburg’,’Pa.’,.01],
[‘Pocono Medical Center’,’East Stroudsburg’,’Pa.’,0],
[‘Pottstown Memorial Medical Center’,’Pottstown’,’Pa.’,1.00],
[‘Punxsutawney Area Hospital’,’Punxsutawney’,’Pa.’,.33],
[‘Reading Hospital Medical Center’,’Reading’,’Pa.’,0],
[‘Regional Hospital Of Scranton’,’Scranton’,’Pa.’,0],
[‘Riddle Memorial Hospital’,’Media’,’Pa.’,.48],
[‘Robert Packer Hospital’,’Sayre’,’Pa.’,.52],
[‘Roxborough Memorial Hospital’,’Philadelphia’,’Pa.’,1.00],
[‘Sacred Heart Hospital’,’Allentown’,’Pa.’,0],
[‘Saint Catherine Medical Center Fountain Springs’,’Ashland’,’Pa.’,.10],
[‘Saint Vincent Health Center’,’Erie’,’Pa.’,0],
[‘Schuylkill Medical Center – East Norwegian Street’,’Pottsville’,’Pa.’,1.00],
[‘Schuylkill Medical Center – South Jackson Street’,’Pottsville’,’Pa.’,.29],
[‘Shamokin Area Community Hospital’,’Coal Township’,’Pa.’,.66],
[‘Sharon Regional Health System’,’Sharon’,’Pa.’,.28],
[‘Soldiers And Sailors Memorial Hospital’,’Wellsboro’,’Pa.’,0],
[‘Somerset Hospital’,’Somerset’,’Pa.’,.02],
[‘Southwest Regional Medical Center’,’Waynesburg’,’Pa.’,.36],
[‘St Clair Memorial Hospital’,’Pittsburgh’,’Pa.’,.72],
[‘St Joseph Medical Center’,’Reading’,’Pa.’,.07],
[‘St Joseph’s Hospital’,’Philadelphia’,’Pa.’,.71],
[‘St Luke’s Hospital Bethlehem’,’Bethlehem’,’Pa.’,.92],
[‘St Luke’s Miners Memorial Hospital’,’Coaldale’,’Pa.’,.16],
[‘St Luke’s Quakertown Hospital’,’Quakertown’,’Pa.’,.02],
[‘St Mary Medical Center’,’Langhorne’,’Pa.’,.56],
[‘Sunbury Community Hospital’,’Sunbury’,’Pa.’,1.00],
[‘Surgical Institute Of Reading’,’Wyomissing’,’Pa.’,0],
[‘Surgical Specialty Center At Coordinated Health’,’Allentown’,’Pa.’,0],
[‘Temple University Hospital’,’Philadelphia’,’Pa.’,.49],
[‘Thomas Jefferson University Hospital’,’Philadelphia’,’Pa.’,.57],
[‘Titusville Hospital’,’Titusville’,’Pa.’,.37],
[‘Tyler Memorial Hospital’,’Tunkhannock’,’Pa.’,0],
[‘Uniontown Hospital’,’Uniontown’,’Pa.’,.19],
[‘Upmc Bedford’,’Everett’,’Pa.’,0],
[‘Upmc Hamot’,’Erie’,’Pa.’,0],
[‘Upmc Horizon’,’Greenville’,’Pa.’,.01],
[‘Upmc Mckeesport’,’Mc Keesport’,’Pa.’,.68],
[‘Upmc Mercy’,’Pittsburgh’,’Pa.’,.45],
[‘Upmc Northwest’,’Seneca’,’Pa.’,.26],
[‘Upmc Passavant’,’Pittsburgh’,’Pa.’,.19],
[‘Upmc Presbyterian Shadyside’,’Pittsburgh’,’Pa.’,.03],
[‘Upmc St Margaret’,’Pittsburgh’,’Pa.’,.13],
[‘Valley Forge Medical Center And Hospital’,’Norristown’,’Pa.’,0],
[‘Warren General Hospital’,’Warren’,’Pa.’,0],
[‘Washington Hospital, The’,’Washington’,’Pa.’,.41],
[‘Wayne Memorial Hospital’,’Honesdale’,’Pa.’,.20],
[‘Waynesboro Hospital’,’Waynesboro’,’Pa.’,.27],
[‘Western Pennsylvania Hosp Forbes Regional Campus’,’Monroeville’,’Pa.’,.76],
[‘Western Pennsylvania Hospital’,’Pittsburgh’,’Pa.’,.51],
[‘Westfield Hospital’,’Allentown’,’Pa.’,0],
[‘Wilkes-barre General Hospital’,’Wilkes-barre’,’Pa.’,0],
[‘Williamsport Regional Medical Center’,’Williamsport’,’Pa.’,0],
[‘Windber Hospital’,’Windber’,’Pa.’,1.00],
[‘York Hospital’,’York’,’Pa.’,.06]
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2013 Medicare Readmissions Penalties By Hospital (Pa., N.J., Del.)
The federal government wants hospitals to lower the number of patients who “bounce back” after a hospital stay. In October, some medical centers will begin paying a penalty for an excessive number of patients readmitted within 30 days. The maximum penalty is 1 percent of the hospital’s Medicare reimbursement. (Data compiled by Kaiser Health News from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid data.)