In the first half of this year, Denver Health, the city’s largest safety net hospital, treated more than 100 long-term patients. None of the patients had a medical reason for remaining in the hospital for most of their stay, according to an article on the Kaiser Health News website.
Legally and morally, hospitals cannot discharge patients if they have no safe place to go. So homeless patients can occupy hospital beds for weeks or months
For hospitals, it means losing money because a patient lingering in a bed without medical problems doesn’t generate income.
To address the problem, hospitals across the country are allocating charity dollars for housing.
Safety Synergy: Infection Prevention That Protects Patients and Workers
Prefabricated Wall Panels Speed UCF Lake Nona Medical Center Construction
New Dallas Pediatric Campus Reaches Topping-Out Milestone
Hospitals Are Energy Super-Users. Why Is It So Hard to Modernize Them?
Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Bangor Officially Opens