SERVICES

The Acute Care/Swing Bed unit at Montgomery General Hospital is committed to providing quality health care services to our community. This twenty five bed unit is equipped with telemetry (cardiac monitoring) and provides services to adult patients recovering from medical illness, injury, disease or surgical procedures. 

This unit delivers excellent care through an interdisciplinary team approach. We utilize the expertise of Physicians, Mid-level providers, Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, Nursing Assistants, Pharmacists, Social workers, Respiratory and Physical therapists and all other disciplines throughout the organization. The goal of the Acute Care/Swing Bed staff is to help the patient attain the highest possible level of health. In the plan of care, this unit offers patient education, smoking cessation counseling, dietary counseling, medication counseling, and other information as applicable to obtain/maintain a healthy lifestyle.

 In order to ensure continuity of care, the staff of the Acute Care/Swing Bed unit will make arrangements for a patient’s transfer to another facility if a different level of services is required or if healthcare assistance is needed once

 leaving our facility.

 CCM services are extensive, including: 

● Structured recording of patient health information 

● Maintaining comprehensive electronic care plans 

● Managing care transitions and other care management services 

● Coordinating and sharing patient health information promptly within and outside the practice CCM service elements apply to complex and non-complex CCM unless otherwise specified. 

You’ll typically provide CCM services outside of face-to-face patient visits and focus on advanced primary care characteristics like: 

● Continuous patient relationship with a chosen care team member 

● Supporting the patient with a chronic disease in achieving health goals 

● 24/7 patient access to care and health information 

● Patient getting preventive care 

● Patient and caregiver engagement 

● Prompt sharing and using patient health information 

 Eligible CCM patients will have multiple (2 or more) chronic conditions that are expected to last at least 12 months or until the patient’s death or that place them at significant risk of death, acute exacerbation or decompensation, or functional decline. These services aren’t typically face-to-face and allow eligible practitioners to bill at least 20 minutes or more of care coordination services per month. 

 Providing 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week (24/7) access to physicians or other qualified practitioners or clinical staff, including providing patients or caregivers with a way to contact their health care practitioners to discuss urgent needs no matter the day or time 

● Providing continuity of care with a designated care team member with whom the patient can schedule routine appointments and who’s regularly in touch with the patient to help them manage their chronic conditions 

● Providing patients and caregivers a way to communicate with their practitioners about their care by phone and through secure messaging, secure web, or other asynchronous non-face-to-face consultation methods (like email or a secure electronic patient portal) 

The Emergency department at Montgomery General Hospital would like to welcome our local Community. Our qualified emergency physicians and medical staff stand ready to provide the highest quality emergency care when you need it. The Emergency department provides care to the community 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The staff treats immediate health needs from minor to serious injury, illness or disease. When necessary, critically injured or seriously ill patients are treated and stabilized and then transferred by ambulance or helicopter to a more specialized facility. Many patients are also admitted to the Acute Care Unit for further treatment after receiving initial treatment in the Emergency department. 

Our physician team includes:

Andrew Cook, DO

Myra Priddy, MD

Janis Williams, DO

ER Contact Info:

(304) 442-7477 

 Montgomery General Hospital’s Fitness Center is open and available to its community members free of charge. We encourage our community to visit the Center, located behind our Emergency Department on the ground floor of the facility. Due to safety reasons, community members are asked to utilize the Center during staffed hours, 7:00 am to Noon, Monday through Friday except major holidays. Employees have access to the Fitness Center at all times. The Fitness Center is equipped with treadmills, ellipticals, stair masters, a Smith gym, free weights, recumbent bikes, and more!

Fitness Center Contact Info:

(304) 442-7453 

 In the Surgery department at MGH, our patients’ safety and comfort are our primary concerns. We provide our patients the highest level of care for their procedures, regardless of whether they need inpatient or outpatient surgery. The department provides a range of services, including general surgery, laparoscopic procedures, and scopes. Operating and recovery rooms contain the high-tech equipment and instrumentation needed to allow our surgeons and anesthesiology team members to provide the best possible care to our patients. Our surgical services team also provides care to patients who require intravenous infusions, wound care, outpatient treatments or procedural education as prescribed by a physician but do not require hospitalization or meet the criteria for home health assistance. Services are delivered by a Registered Nurse with physician availability should the need arise during treatment. A physician order is required for services provided in this department. 

The following services are available: 

Orthopedic Services

IV Medication Administration

 Hydration Therapy

 Transfusion Therapy

 Injection Therapy

 Iron Infusion

 Medication Administration and First Dose

 Medication Monitoring

 Peripheral, Mid-Line & Central Line Management

 Implanted Vascular Access Port Management

 Acquisition of Lab Specimens

 Suprapubic Catheter Changes

 Wound Care

 Colostomy Care

 Tracheotomy Care

 Patient Education and Follow-Up Care 

 What is Swing Bed?

MGH offers an accredited Swing Bed Program which allows patients to remain at or transfer to our facility following discharge for rehabilitation. The short-stay program serves individuals who are in a transition phase of illness or recovery and no longer require acute care services. The program provides personalized nursing care and individualized therapies to assist patients in reaching their highest potential for health and independence prior to returning home.

The Swing Bed program allows physicians to “swing” a patient’s level of care from an acute level to rehabilitation level while keeping them in a hospital setting. The purpose of the swing bed program is to give patients individualized care and more time to recover and gain strength before leaving the hospital.

The program is ideal for patients who require skilled nursing services, physical, occupational, and/or speech therapy.

How long can patients stay? The Swing Bed program is considered short-term. The average length of stay for patients who participate and make progress is generally one to two weeks. For patients unable to return home that require long-term care, referrals to MGH and other long-term care facilities may be made.

• To complete medical treatment of post-acute episode for pneumonia, diabetes, congestive heart failure (CHF), chronic obstructive failure (COPD)
• Heal and regain strength for safe return home or other lower level of care after your hospital or surgical stay
• Intensive wound care
• Orthopedic rehabilitation post-hip or knee surgery and other orthopedic procedures
• Stroke rehabilitation

Who qualifies for a Swing Bed?

In order for Medicare and private insurance to pay for the Swing Bed Program, patients must meet specific qualifying criteria. Medicare regulations allow for admission following a hospital stay of at least three days and an individual must require either skilled nursing or skilled therapy services. Other commercial insurances admit based on their determined criteria.

• 24-hour skilled nursing services
• Daily assessment by interdisciplinary team
• Physical therapy, occupational therapy, and/or speech therapy if needed
• Active participation and progress in therapies as prescribed
• Respiratory therapy
• Pharmacy services
• Nutrition services
• Social services
• Activities provided as tolerated/needed
• Discharge planning meeting

Payment

Medicare and some private insurance will pay for skilled swing bed services. For insurance patients, authorization for skilled swing bed services are obtained from the insurance carrier prior to admission. After admission, the case manager will be in communication with the insurance carrier about the length of stay covered.

If you have additional questions, please contact our Admissions Coordinator at 304.442.1248

HIPAA Requirements

While MGH can accept Swing Bed patients from other acute care facilities, we cannot always explain an admission decision. Due to HIPAA requirements, explanation of a patient’s eligibility status may only be given by the patient’s current acute care facility.

Referral Process

1. Make a phone call to our Admissions Coordinator at 304.442.7400
2. Admissions Coordinator/Case Manager pre-certifies patient and reviews with physician for acceptance.
3. Admissions Coordinator/Case Manager notifies you of acceptance.
4. Nurse to Nurse hand off/report day of patient discharge from acute facility and admission into the Swing Bed Program.