The Patient Care Liaison volunteer assists Care Management Coordinators with scheduling follow up appointments for patients who are preparing to be discharged. The purpose of this role is to support the staff with reducing readmission rates for newly discharged patients, which is a significant cost savings to the organization. Reducing hospital readmissions is a major goal for all hospitals. Early follow-up appointments have been shown to be an important strategy in identifying issues early allowing for effective intervention, patient and family education and treatment modifications thereby reducing the risk for readmission within 30 days of discharge. Connecting the patient and the physician improves the transition of care.
The volunteer will round with patients to inquire about their availability for an appointment, schedule the follow-up appointment, and provide resources to patients regarding insurance and other information.