MEDFORD, Ore. – 23 Oregon hospitals, including two in the Rogue Valley, are among 2,500 across the country being penalized for having excessive rates of readmissions of elderly patients.
Both Asante Ashland Community Hospital and Providence Medford Medical Center are on the list, according to government data broken down by Kaiser Health News.
The federal government cuts payments to hospitals that have high rates of readmissions as well as those with the highest numbers of infections and patient injuries.
Asante declined our request for comment. Providence released the following statement:
The increase in readmissions among Medicare patients in the Rogue Valley is likely the result of three persistent diseases: pneumonia, congestive heart failure and chronic pulmonary disease. These conditions are aggravated by poor air quality, which we’ve seen in Medford recently and correlate to a spike in emergency department admissions. Higher levels of substance abuse in Jackson and Josephine counties also impact everyone’s overall health, especially our aging population, and that often results in repeat hospital visits.
All of us at Providence are committed to effective treatment for every patient, helping people maintain a healthy lifestyle while identifying and reducing risk factors for readmission.
Dr. Jason Kuhl, chief medical officer, Providence Medford Medical Center
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