Dive Brief:
- The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) has cut 410 hospital, psychiatric and long-term care beds over the previous six months, the hospital reports, due to the continued lower numbers of admissions occurring throughout western Pennsylvania.
- The hospital had reported a total of 4,429 total beds in service as of Dec. 31, which was down 8.4% from the 4,839 beds it had in service during the same six-month period in 2013. The deepest cuts in that drop were to skilled nursing beds and medical-surgical beds. During the same timeframe, UPMC increased its rehabilitation beds by 11% to 180.
- By cutting its bed count, the hospital can now say its occupancy rate is at its highest since at least 2012. The reduction in beds has not impacted employment at the health system.
Dive Insight:
UPMC's adjustment of beds aligns with what's happening in the region, as numerous independent hospitals report lower admissions rates as a result of factors including higher out-of-pocket expenses for patients.
Overall hospital discharges in the region are reported to have declined by 3.6%, according to the Pittsburgh Business Times, and UPMC claims that the cuts are par for the course:
"Trimming and expanding bed counts is routine in the system," UPMC spokeswoman Susan Manko told the paper. "We're always adding, flexing up and flexing down, depending on patient needs."