A hospitalist‐led short‐stay rehabilitation unit reduced inpatient discharge delays

Abstract Hospitalized patients requiring post‐acute rehabilitation often remain in acute care while awaiting skilled nursing facility placement. In July 2023, the San Francisco VA Health Care System opened a hospitalist‐led short‐stay rehabilitation unit within its Community Living Center, called the Lotus. Mean referral‐to‐discharge time, excluding referral hold periods, decreased from 6.89 days in fiscal year (FY) 2023 to 4.58 days in FY2024 and 3.35 days in FY2025. The Lotus became the lowest‐delay post‐acute care destination and the facility's most frequently used individual rehabilitation destination. This model suggests hospitalist integration into post‐acute care may improve hospital throughput without expanding post‐acute bed capacity.