Swing Bed Program

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The GVMC swing bed program is designed to bridge the gap between acute care and discharge home. Common diagnoses of swing bed patients include total knee replacement, total hip replacement, congestive heart failure, stroke, bone fractures, respiratory failure, debility/weakness, COPD/emphysema and pneumonia. Emphasis of care is placed on restorative and rehabilitation needs with length of stay averaging 7-20 days,  depending on what care plans and goals are set for the patient.

Who can benefit?
Patients whose needs cannot be met at home or at a long term care facility but whose condition is not severe enough to require a continued hospital stay are good candidates for the swing bed program.

Our specialized services
The GVMC swing bed program is licensed for 10 beds and features an interdisciplinary team of healthcare professionals and a therapy gym. Our team includes a physician, a physical therapist, an occupational therapist, a speech therapist, a dietician, nurses, a respiratory therapist and other clinicians as needed. We work together to properly assess each patient and develop an individualized plan of care for each patient.

Eligibility
To qualify for admission to the GVMC swing bed program, a patient with Medicare must have been in acute/inpatient care for 3 days prior to being eligible for the swing bed program. Managed Medicare and some commercial insurance plans are eligible with precertification. Patients must have a skilled rehabilitation need or skilled nursing needs such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech therapy or require some level of assistance with activities of daily living to return to prior level of function to be eligible.

For additional information about the GVMC swing bed program and the services provided, contact Lavon Brown, R.N., Clinical Nurse Manager, or Linda Shoemaker, R.N., Director of Case Management, at (304) 647- 4411.