It’s not every day that a provider can say it has reduced readmission rates by 50% on its sub-acute unit.

But Golden Hill Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Kingston, NY, did just that. And in doing so, it paved the way to Gold in the Quality category in the McKnight’s Technology Awards.

The provider went live with its TeliStat™ Restorative Care Unit with 25 beds at the end of 2015. Partnering with TellStat allowed Golden Hill to focus on telemonitoring and creating rehab in a more home-like setting. Each patient admitted to the unit has a portable Wi-Fi cellular cardiac monitor which registers real-time data 24 hours a day.

“We were really able to create a sub-acute unit that was very effective and prevent readmissions,” said Edward Farbenblum, executive vice president of VestraCare. Before starting with TellStat he says the readmission rate was around 20%, and is now down to 4.6% in the last audit for the most complex patients in the building.

“We’re always looking for cutting edge products and ways to become real subacute model,” he told McKnight’s.

Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Newton, MA, won Gold in the Safety category for its use of AvaSys Continuous Virtual Monitoring system. This involved installing a camera in a patient’s room to keep him/her from falling or pulling lines while easing number of observers needed per patient. Instead, of a 1:1 rate, a patient care assistant can monitor 10 patients at once. The hospital also has seen a reduction in falls and better patient care/monitoring for at-risk patients.

Other winners announced Friday

-NCH HealthCare, Anderson in Anderson, SC, won Silver in the Quality category for the Telehealth Solution PLLC. The provider started using the telehealth program for physicians on call overnight and on weekends. The result is reducing readmissions, and the program is interactive with EKG, stethoscope and O2 monitors.

-WoodHaven in Lumberton, NC, won Bronze in the Quality category for its use of Epic, which it began using in November 2017. Since then, medication errors have decreased, and staff is able to see a fuller medical record for the patient, including his/her history.

-The Allure Group in Brooklyn, NY, won Silver in the Safety category for its use of the EarlySense system. By installing the system in 1,436 beds in six facilities and using the company’s thin pad under the mattress and bed frame, the provider has decreased readmissions.

-Trinity Homes in Minot, ND, won Bronze in the Safety category for its use of the SRM (Quantros) system. It allowed users to directly input information from the computer and identify problems/safety issues that come up, allowing it to catch pharmacy or other safety issues.

The McKnight’s Tech Awards winners are being announced every day this week, with Skilled Nursing in the McKnight’s Daily Update and Senior Care in the McKnight’s Senior Living Daily Briefing. Stanley Healthcare is this year’s Platinum Sponsor, with Gold-level support from Netsmart (Skilled) and MatrixCare (Senior Care).

Read about Monday’s, Tuesday’s, Wednesday’s and Thursday’s winners.