transportation issues

It's amazing, isn't it?

I would imagine it's whatever your hospital policy is. To be honest, I'm not exactly sure what my policy is. But I feel your vent.

Many times, I pop my head in the room and say ok, here's a phone, we're working on getting you discharged.

It is very rare that I find a patient who is completely unable to find a ride home but I don't put up a fight with my elders.

Unless the person is elderly, we give them a bus pass when discharging and send them to the discharge lounge to make phone calls to find a ride. There is a patient advocate in the lounge and the patient is no longer our concern. When the patient is more complicated or going back to a SNF, case management takes care of transportation.

Sooo jealous! This sounds amazing! I love the sound of that, 'discharge lounge' with a patient advocate. If we gave all our patient's bus passes we'd be out of business in a month! Do you know how your hospital funds the bus passes?

We usually tell people that there's a phone out in the waiting room, I can call them a cab, that their discharge paperwork may get them on the bus for free, or simply "good luck, see you next time."

Yes, our patient population is rather...steady.

However, we also have some cab vouchers and a very limited supply of bus passes. We are stingy with both - if the patient is from out of town and needs to get back to their hotel, I'll give them a cab voucher. There's also the odd person who says that they need to get to X stop on the bus, so if I have a bus pass, I may give it to them. It really does depend on the patient, the time of day, and frankly, our moods. Is that mean? Probably. But if we gave bus passes or cab vouchers to everybody that asked for one, we wouldn't have enough money for anything else in the department budget.

We pretty much go with goodby and good luck, point them towards the phone in the lobby. There are always exceptions, but vouchers are rare and I'm not making calls to find the ride.

Just to be clear, there are hospitals that reward people who abuse the ER for primary care by handing out bus passes and cab vouchers? Really?

I feel your pain, OP, and yes, I would LOVE to have a discharge specialist to coordinate rides home! My regular job does not give out vouchers or bus passes, (we're nearly bankrupt as is), but my pd job will do so if the patient isn't on the usual offender list. I agree with others that it only seems to encourage bad behavior, unfortunately.

Sooo jealous! This sounds amazing! I love the sound of that, 'discharge lounge' with a patient advocate. If we gave all our patient's bus passes we'd be out of business in a month! Do you know how your hospital funds the bus passes?

Our department funds the bus passes directly out of our budget unfortunately. They have some sort of deal with the bus company for a discounted rate. Im sure one day it will be a thing of the past, like all good things!

Just to be clear, there are hospitals that reward people who abuse the ER for primary care by handing out bus passes and cab vouchers? Really?

Its sad but true. I try to look at it this way, most of the people we give the bus passes to have state funded health insurance. This insurance will pay for ambulance and chair van rides home. I have had to book transportation for people for the most ridiculous reasons. If the person can step on to a bus its going to cost tax payers less money than an ambulance would. I know its not right but I have to tell myself something lol.