The Dallas VA has now been scolded for using acute care beds the wrong way. Which is not news to front line workers but I guess with ongoing budget issues with the VA, now the brass is trying to cover their asses.
Acute care beds are just that....for short term stays that last long enough to get the acute problem fixed. The patient either then goes home or gets sent to a long term care bed or facility.
Instead, in Dallas, we keep long term care patients with chronic problems in the acute beds. For weeks or months.
Word came down that Dallas VA has the lowest discharge rate nationwide..meaning we hang into patients waaaayyyy longer than other VA places nationwide. No shit...we could have told you that.
So now that the higher ups have called Dallas out, our census has plummeted. Maybe it's because it's summer and it's a slower time (though we've never had that happen before)...but many of the wards are very empty right now or at a much lower census than normal.
Hopefully this is a sign that the DC Feds are for real this time and are showing facilities that their budgets are going to be scrutinized more closely. That is what needs to happen to get their money affair in order.
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