Case Study: Southwest General Health Center reduces hospital readmission rate and penalties with Cerner Readmission Prevention and Acute Case Management

Southwest General Health Center decreases hospital-wide readmission rate

Southwest General Health Center, a 350‑bed nonprofit serving the Greater Cleveland area, was seeking a way to lower rising hospital readmission rates and the associated CMS penalties. Without a reliable method to identify high‑risk patients, care teams relied on limited cues like age or prior admissions, which made targeted discharge planning difficult.

In April 2016 the health system implemented Cerner Readmission Prevention integrated with Acute Case Management, adding in‑workflow readmission risk scores and an ED tracking‑board icon to prioritize patients. Over the 12 months from May 2016–April 2017, hospital‑wide 30‑day readmissions fell 5.52%; seven‑day readmissions declined from 4.11% to 3.72% by April 2017, and projected FY2017 CMS penalties dropped nearly 49% (about $28,500), supported by ongoing data monitoring and reporting.

Southwest General Health Center

Jacquie Potelick

Director, Case Management and Social Services