Triggers for a referral
LTACH Criteria
Did you know?
Differentiators
100
When you are unsure if a patient would qualify for LTACH. Who can you reach out to for a quick answer?

What is community liaison? Taylor Watson

100

Usually requiring more than one at a time patients often need these to make a good case for LTACH

What are comorbidities?

100

Who has 25+ years of experience in Long Term Acute Care service in Tucson?

Who is Cornerstone Specialty Hospital?

We are accredited through The Joint Commission.

100

Offering the same in-depth care pt would receive in a traditional hospital or ICU setting, this facility keeps patients for an extended period of time needed for recovery.  

What is LTACH?

200

St. Joseph's Hospital relies heavily on this department to guide the discharge planning process.

What is Therapy Department

200

We hope you never have to spend three midnights in this place (or any time for that matter).

What is ICU? 

200

In healthcare, quality matters. Speaking of quality, which LTACH has the highest vent liberation rates in AZ?

What is Cornerstone Specialty Hospital?

Per medicare.gov:

-Cornerstone: 69.8%

-Competitor: 53.1%

-National Avg.: 52.8%

200

An apple a day couldn't keep these people away from our patients.

What are daily physician visits? 

Hospitalists, Pulmonologists, and Cardiologists rounding daily. A physician also houses with us from 7pm to 7 am every day.

Nephrology, Neurology, ID docs, and other specialists available for consult. 

300

Patients with these type of oxygen needs are good candidates for LTACH

What is Mechanical Ventilation, Heated high flow O2, High flow Oxygen?

300

When your patient is requiring high acuity care without end in sight hopefully I see you make the connection between this and need for LTAC.

What is prolonged ICU level care: stable Vent, Chest tubes, NG, dobbhoff, long neuro recovery, telemetry

hint: extended time in intensive care

300

Getting our patients safely to the next level is of the utmost importance to Cornerstone. Guess the percentage of patients who are at or above an expected ability to care for themselves and move at discharge from Cornerstone.

Percentage of patients who are at or above an expected ability to care for themselves and move around at discharge

Per medicare.gov

-Cornerstone: 80%

-Competitor:44.68%

-National average: 46.0%

300

Often making the difference between patients going to IPR and LTACH, this amount of time is required for patients to remain at IPR.

What is minimum 3hrs participation in daily therapy? 

LTACH has a skilled therapy team comprised of PT, OT, SLP. LTACH offers progressive therapy. We go based on what the patient can tolerate

400

Unlike other levels of care, LTACH is able to manage these types of intravenous medications. 

What are critical drips? 

Only drips we don't manage are paralytics.

IV Sedation, cardiac drips, IV antibiotics, TPN, blood transfusions.

400

These are the people you call when you need expert care for a wound. 

What a certified wound care nurse? 

Dr. Shilling is the wound care director at Cornerstone Specialty Hospital.


400

Cornerstone specialty hospital offers many services. Name at least three.

On-site pharmacy, lab, radiology, on-site dietician, certified wound care team, in-house dialysis, PT/OT/SLP, ability for swallow videos/studies, early mobility program, PICC line placement, TDC placement, telemetry, bronchoscopy, EKG/Echocardiogram, Chest tube placement, thoracentesis, negative pressure room (airborne isolation)

400

Significantly impacting the level of care and attention patients receive, this is a major differentiator between LTACH and SNF.  

What is nurse to patient ratios? In LTACH ICU unit ratios are based on acuity; max 1:4, min 1:1. Our SDU mx 1:7. SNF is often 1:20

500

You have a patient sitting in your ICU that you aren't sure what to do with. After how long should you think to refer to LTACH.

What is 7 days and even as early as 3 days? Or whenever you feel most appropriate. (If you are unsure contact Cornerstone's CL)

500

When a patient becomes too much for a facility to safely handle, they are considered "failed" at:

What is failed at lower level?

500

These diagnoses/needs make patients potentially good candidates for LTACH? Name two. 

Respiratory failure, Stroke, Aspiration Pneumonia/complicated pulmonary infections, COPD, Emphysema, Interstitial lung disease, Pulmonary fibrosis, Trachestomy placement/management, Acute Kidney Failure, Chest Tube management, Congestive heart failure, Malnutrition requiring TPN, PPN, NG/OG, DHT, Abcess, Sepsis, Osteomyelitis, Complex wounds, Decubitus ulcers + more

500

You'll have to catch your breath after we reveal this answer. Cornerstone is a great partner for ICUs because we are staffed full of RTs to man this equipment.

 What are full respiratory capabilities for all modes of ventilation: Vent, BiPAP, CPAP, HiFlo, AVAP, Complex modes of ventilation