Thought leaders from the healthcare industry will describe patient discharge process improvements during Best Practices in Hospital Discharge to Reduce Preventable Readmissions, a webinar from the Healthcare Intelligence Network (HIN) on October 23, 2007 at 1:30 p.m. Eastern.

For webinar details, please visit http://www.hin.com/cgi-local/link/news/pl.cgi?hospdisrel

NEWS FACTS:

Featured Healthcare Experts:
- Nora Baratto, manager of the case management department at St. Peter's Hospital's CHOICES program, Albany, N.Y.
- Michelle M. Berry, director of the Community Alternative Systems Agency (CASA) in Broome County, N.Y.

Webinar Highlights: Their organization's best practices in hospital discharge policies and procedures that have improved this transition in care; assessing and stratifying patients at discharge based on their risk level for readmission and assigning targeted interventions based on those risks; enhancing the communication between providers and patients to improve results; developing patient and caregiver education programs that lead to a clearly understood plan of care; structuring follow-up phone calls and/or home visits to ensure patient compliance; analyzing the impact of changes to hospital discharge procedures; and special considerations for the elderly population during hospital discharge.

Target Audience: CEOs, medical directors, disease management directors, managers and coordinators, health plan executives, care management nurses, discharge planners, quality improvement executives, customer service managers, patient services and patient relations managers and patient advocates.

Webinar Formats: 90-minute interactive webinar on October 23, 2007 includes a 30-minute Q&A; "On-Demand" rebroadcast available October 25, 2007; 90-minute recording on CD-ROM with printed transcript available November 5, 2007. For webinar details, please visit http://www.hin.com/cgi-local/link/news/pl.cgi?hospdisrel

QUOTES ATTRIBUTABLE TO MELANIE MATTHEWS, HIN EXECUTIVE VP AND COO:

"Many problems that occur after a patient is discharged are ultimately preventable. It is crucial that healthcare providers ensure that patients and caregivers comprehend their prescribed hospital discharge plan. As patients transition from a tightly managed care environment to a more self-reliant setting, patient education and doctor-patient communication are key."

Please contact Patricia Donovan to arrange an interview or to obtain additional quotes.

About the Healthcare Intelligence Network - HIN is the premier advisory service for executives seeking high-quality strategic information on the business of healthcare. For more information, contact the Healthcare Intelligence Network, PO Box 1442, Wall Township, NJ 07719-1442, (888) 446-3530, fax (732) 292-3073, e-mail info(at)hin.com, or visit http://www.hin.com