The Massachusetts Health Policy Commission (HPC) announced seven acute care hospital awardees in Massachusetts will receive $1.38 million total funding through the new Promoting Appropriate Transitions to Home (PATHways) investment program, supporting hospital-to-home programs and streamlining patient discharges to home care instead of skilled nursing facilities or other institutional settings.

Following a hospital stay, patients may face barriers setting up the appropriate services to enable them to discharge directly home or to a community-based setting, even when these may be the most appropriate settings for their continued care. The Massachusetts Transitions from Acute Care to Post Acute Care (TACPAC) Task Force found that each day, there are 2,000 patients on average that remain hospitalized despite being medically ready for discharge(opens in a new tab).

Along with quality impacts on patient care, challenges discharging patients from the inpatient setting exacerbate capacity constraints that result in increased lengths of hospital stays and emergency department boarding. The HPC has found that lengths of stay of greater than 30 days are increasing(opens in a new tab) as a proportion of hospital stays, and account for half of the growth in bed days since 2016.

The PATHways program funds both new and existing partnerships between acute care hospitals in Massachusetts and Aging Services Access Points (ASAPs), organizations designed to connect residents over the age of 60 and their caregivers with programs and services to help them age in the community. ASAPs are uniquely positioned to help residents access the services necessary to discharge directly home. PATHways continues the model of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Aging and Independence (AGE)’s Hospital to Home Partnership Program, and aims to further bolster partnerships between hospitals and ASAPs to facilitate more hospital-to-home discharges.

PATHways Awardee Programs:

Learn more about the PATHways investment program on the HPC’s website.