“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together” likewise population health can be achieved by improving the individual health of the community. Small is the new big healthcare, and this rule will transform future care delivery system!
Either an ambulatory setting or an urgent care is not enough to meet the modern demand and has no sufficient facilities for inpatients. To react to this change in patient expectation large hospitals are opening micro-hospitals in the places of need.
Micro hospitals also called the community hospital, are licensed facilities which enable quicker treatment for emergency care patients, and may also offer services like outpatient surgery, primary care, and other specified services. Michael Slubowski, President, and CEO of SGL Health said Micro Hospitals will have two or three story buildings- around 35,000 to 45,000 square feet, and some are already set up near neighborhood by offering all facilities in small single place.
He also stated that none of the two Micro hospitals will look alike in facilities or services they supply. But they all have the emergency department, imaging system, laboratories, and pharmacies as facilities in common. Other facilities like primary care, women’s services, dietary services and outpatient surgeries will be included as per the needs of the community.
Fred Bentley, a vice president at the Center for Payment & Delivery Innovation at Avalere Health, said this is the right time for all healthcare systems to establish their market. If your customer is rich, and you have a service then you can fill the demand.
Why is Micro needed?
Lack of inpatient facilities in large hospitals and urgent care made people suffer. Building a full facility hospital is a big money but micro-hospital costs less and it serves the particular community needs. Micro hospitals are specially designed for EDs, inpatient beds are to accommodate people who are done with surgery. Also, some disease cannot be found at an instant, those patients need to have a closer observation. And that is the reason why micro is equipped with 8-10 inpatient facility.
Benefits of Mini Hospitals
1. Micro Hospitals are built near neighborhood so the people can access easily it makes care convenient for the population that a hospital serves.
2. They help to connect patients with specialty and primary care physician networks, For example, In Vegas, a micro hospital’s second floor is designed with separate specialty and primary care physician offices.
3. Micro hospitals cost relatively higher than urgent care but lower than hospitals. The reason why it has high cost compared to urgent care is they lack inpatient facilities.
4. Telehealth facilities are offered for integrated care and care continuity. They have trained physicians, nurses and other specialists to ensure care across the care continuum.
Connecting Rural Areas
Micro-hospitals can bridge the gap in care delivery, and quality for a population in rural and underdeveloped areas. Due to its low-cost nature, and intimate delivery model, micro hospitals proves to be ideal in a rural setup. But the micro hospital model is not just for the rural populace, it is gaining prominence in the present age when the healthcare industry is looking to reduce cost and improve patient care experience.
