Impact of a Centralized Inpatient Hospice Unit in an Academic Medical Center.
OBJECTIVE
Rush University Medical Center (RUMC) and Horizon Hospice opened the first centralized inpatient hospice unit (CIPU) in a Chicago academic medical center in 2012. This study examined if there was a difference in cost or length of stay (LOS) in a CIPU compared to hospice care in scattered beds throughout RUMC.


METHODS
This retrospective, cross-sectional study compared cost and LOS for patients admitted to the CIPU (n = 141) and those admitted to hospice scattered beds (SBM) throughout RUMC (n = 56).


RESULTS
The CIPU patients had a median LOS of 6.0 days versus 2.0 days for SBM patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The CIPU patients had longer hospice LOS but lower hospital costs. Academic medical centers may benefit from aggregating hospice beds.
Health Services Administration, D'Youville College, Buffalo, NY, USA Health Systems Management, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA jegierb@dyc.edu.
Briana J
BJ
Jegier
Health Systems Management, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA Johnston R. Bowman Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
Sean
S
O'Mahony
Health Systems Management, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL, USA.
Julie
J
Johnson
Horizon Hospice, Chicago, IL, USA.
Rita
R
Flaska
Health Systems Management, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA Johnston R. Bowman Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
Anthony
A
Perry
Horizon Hospice, Chicago, IL, USA.
Mary
M
Runge
Health Systems Management, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA Johnston R. Bowman Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
Teri
T
Sommerfeld
D000046:Academic Medical Centers / Q000191:economics*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D017051:Hospice Care / Q000191:economics*; D017722:Hospital Charges / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000191:economics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000191:economics; D012189:Retrospective Studies
academic hospital; costs; inpatient hospice unit