Improvements in Care-Transitions: A Case Study of St. Luke’s Hospital

St. Luke's Hospital, part of the Iowa Health System, designed a successful readmissions reduction program for congestive heart failure; they then expanded this program to COPD and other conditions. This case study outlines the approach in detail, including both primary and secondary objectives for the program. The authors expound the factors St. Luke's identified as key to successful implementation, including stakeholder engagement across the care continuum, adoption of a patient-centered approach and use of standardized tools.