EPISODE SUMMARY
In the past, marketing liaisons were able to go into the local hospitals, meet with case managers, screen patients and bring in business for the nursing homes.
Over the last few years, many hospitals are 'closed'. You cannot come in unless you have a specific reason to be there, a specific patient that you were referred and this has created a dramatic shift in the way SNFs interact with the hospitals.
EPISODE NOTES
David Carvelli is an RN and spent more than half of his career at the bedside and then transitioned to the LTAC (long term acute care) world where he was hired as a liaison/marketing role.
David quickly grew to the VP of marketing role until the reimbursement structure forced many LTACs to close their doors.
Since then David has been with several nursing home companies helping them succeed financially with their census requirements and business goals.
Shmuel: Why were liaisons welcomed into the hospitals in the past?
David: Ease of access. The case managers were able to give a name to a liaison and have them work out the discharge.
The liaisons were actually assisting the case managers in the discharge process. This facilitated a successful transition and significantly expedited the process.
Shmuel: Why has this changed? Why are the liaisons no longer welcomed in the hospitals?
David: Security and privacy. Also, with the electronic referral systems, the case managers can send a referral to many facilities with the click of a button. This makes it less necessary to have liaisons seeing them in person every day.
Other Actions for Clinical Liaisons
Be available and accessible to discharge planners
Go out into the community and share educational materials and trainings
Attend conferences and events that are important to your acute care providers (hospitals)
Be active with your local senior centers and adult day care centers
