ProMedica and Concordance Healthcare Solutions have combined to take the concepts of post-acute care and population health to a new level.
ProMedica and Concordance Healthcare Solutions have combined to take the concepts of post-acute care and population health to a new level.
ProMedica’s Food at Discharge program ensures that patients in need get a three-day supply of nutritious food upon discharge. Toledo, Ohio-based ProMedica buys the non-perishable food items, and Concordance inventories, packs and ships them to each of ProMedica’s 12 hospitals. The program is designed to help patients deal with food scarcity and to potentially prevent readmission to the hospital due to poor or unavailable nutrition.
“ProMedica is constantly building programs to benefit our communities across northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan,” says Dave Myers, Concordance executive vice president. “They put words into action, and they place the patient first.” (Concordance was formed in December 2015 when three distributors merged – Seneca Medical, Kreisers and MMS—A Medical Supply Company.)
ProMedica President of Supply Chain Kathleen Krueger introduced the concept to Seneca in December 2014. “The issue was presented as, how can Concordance use its skills, strengths and excellence in logistics to partner with ProMedica and efficiently put these kits together and expand a unique program across all of our hospitals?” says Myers.
Now, when a patient is admitted to a ProMedica hospital, the admissions team identifies their potential need for food help and – just as important – their willingness to accept it. Upon discharge, they get food, a nutritional guide and a guide to community services.
Concordance employees pack the food kits on their own time. They pack three days’ allotment in a box to be given to the patient at discharge. Concordance packs two kinds of kits: one for people with dysphagia (that is, difficulty in swallowing), and another for those without. Concordance then delivers the food kits to each hospital as part of its normal daily replenishment process.
“Everybody talks about wellness and following the patient,” says Myers. “ProMedica is actually doing it.”
ProMedica presented its Mission Partner of the Year Award to Concordance at the first annual ProMedica Philanthropy Awards this spring. ProMedica is also spreading the word about hunger as a health issue nationally through The Root Cause Coalition summits and other educational campaigns and research initiatives.
For more information about ProMedica’s services to communities, visit www.promedica.org.
Food at Discharge
Items included in ProMedica’s Food at Discharge kits include:
- Applesauce
- Mixed fruit cups
- Honey graham crackers
- Cheerios cereal
- Lorna Doone cookies
- Unsalted saltine crackers
- Peanut butter
- Low-sodium vegetable soup
- Low-sodium chicken noodle soup
- Ritz Bits crackers
- Grape jelly
- Vanilla soy milk
- Apple juice
- Grits
- Strained bananas
- Strained chicken
- Strained green beans
- Strained pears
- Strained beef
- Strained carrots
- Cutlery kit
- Barn box
- Plastic bag