In a trend across the country, many hospital morgues have been overrun since the first surge of the coronavirus pandemic. Increased decedent release time not only creates a burden for families but also poses an operational challenge for hospitals, which are forced to supplement their morgues with refrigerated trucks.
To combat this issue, NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi | North Central Bronx hospital has launched a program to improve decedent release time.
In this episode of HL Shorts, Komal Bajaj, MD, chief quality officer at Jacobi | North Central Bronx hospital share the three primary elements of the hospital's Compassion for the Community: Continuing Care after Death program.
Click on the video below to see Bajaj discuss the program. Click here to read the accompanying HealthLeaders story.
Christopher Cheney is the CMO editor at HealthLeaders.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Hospital morgues have experienced high volumes of decedents since the coronavirus pandemic, which has increased decedent release times significantly.
An initiative launched by a NYC Health + Hospitals hospital has reduced delays in decedent releases times by giving families a clear understanding of the paperwork and other steps required with the passing of a loved one.
The initiative is operated by an interdisciplinary team that includes staff from pathology, care experience, admitting, and finance.