Hunter
02/12/20
A proposed University of Iowa Health Care facility in North Liberty could provide much-needed relief at the Iowa City campus and their issues with discharge times.
The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports that an internal audit shows the UIHC only hitting discharge goals ten to fifteen percent of the time.
The hospital has a goal of discharging inpatients by 11am, but according to the audit, the average time is actually at 2:06pm. In response, management at the UIHC is looking at creating a new “discharge lounge” for patients waiting for a ride and increasing staff. They’re also wondering if the 11am discharge time is realistic, given increased patient numbers and stretched resources.
The audit reveals that the number of patients admitted to the hospital has been on a steady increase over the last five years, and average length of stay in the emergency room has increased from just over four hours to nearly six in that time.
The paper reports that issues with provider availability to approve discharge are a factor in the delayed release times.
