PROVIDENCE – A new study confirmed that Rhode Island needs a new hospital facility to meet its long-term acute care needs.
The study, conducted by Faulkner Consulting Group, looked at the state’s current hospital needs and determined that Rhode Island needs a long-term acute care facility with approximately 100 beds, to serve patients needing hospital level care and extended acute care.
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The Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals commissioned the feasibility study to identify care needs in Rhode Island, as the state prepares to build a new medical facility to broaden the scope of the state-run Eleanor Slater Hospital in the Burrillville campus.
“This research outlines the importance of a new facility and highlights the services that facility will provide. It also confirms the challenges that Rhode Island’s medical community has been contending with since the start of the pandemic, and the need for a facility to treat acute care patients as they are on the road to recovery,” said Richard Charest, director of BHDDH, which oversees Eleanor Slater Hospital. “This is an exciting time for Rhode Island and for Eleanor Slater Hospital, because the new hospital building at the Burrillville campus will support our continuum of care with enhanced care options, new job opportunities, expanded capacity, and modern amenities for all patients and staff.”
Earlier this year, Gov. Daniel J. McKee released details about his administration’s plan to invest more than $100 million in a new facility at the Eleanor Slater Hospital in Burrillville, which will replace current operations in the Beazley building. The results of this study will be used in a review of architectural and engineering options and to determine the size and scope of the project.
Long Term Acute Care Hospitals focus on patients who need to be in a hospital for an average of 25 days or more. Many are usually transferred to a LTACH from intensive or critical care units.
Currently, Rhode Island is not meeting the needs of patients looking for long-term acute care, who are often sent out of state or remain in acute care hospitals longer than necessary, the study found. This is occupying beds in acute care hospitals that should be available to patients with acute care needs, causing a backlog and longer emergency room wait times.
As part of the study, the consulting group looked at discharge data from hospitals in Rhode Island, reviewed insurance claims, national benchmarks and population demographics, and conducted interview with local hospital leaders, who confirmed that there is an “unmet need” for long term acute care hospital services in the state.
According to the study, the bed needs at Eleanor Slate Hospital range from 85-119.
A community meeting will be held online and at the Beazley Building Medical Library, 2090 Wallum Lake Road, Burrillville, Thursday at 1 p.m. Findings of the study will be presented with time for public comment and questions.
Claudia Chiappa is a PBN staff writer. You may contact her at Chiappa@PBN.com.
