Updated May 21, 2019

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has awarded Maury Regional Health $928,878 in Civil Money Penalty funds to enhance the continuum of care and reduce patient readmission rates through its postacute care network.

Funds will be used to reduce hospital readmissions especially those associated with pneumonia and sepsis through infection prevention, antibiotic and antifungal medication stewardship and rapid response to changes in patients’ conditions.

 The program bolsters education as well as enhance deployment of a clinical pharmacist to guide antimicrobial stewardship and the use of video-conferencing technology. This will enable a rapid response team to assist caregivers at local skilled nursing facilities when they first assess a patient’s condition is declining.

The PACN includes more than 30 organizations ranging from skilled nursing facilities to home care and hospice organizations. The grant will include 11 of the skilled nursing facilities treating the largest number of patients and provide value to these PACN health care providers by providing resources not previously available to help them serve patients.

NHC Healthcare of Pulaski is one of the participating facilities.