DHHS announces Hospital Decompression Program

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) -The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services announced on Tuesday a Hospital Decompression Program to help open up more acute beds in hospitals.

The Hospital Decompression Program is designed to move patients out of hospitals when they no longer require acute care, but still require skilled nursing care and have been unable to find a skilled nursing facility.

This program will allow recovering patients to receive necessary care while they wait to discharge to their home or find an SNF facility without making use of acute hospital beds. A total of 78 to 98 hospital decompression beds will be available in the following locations:

Lincoln: 16 to 36 beds operated by Mission Health Communities
Omaha: 32 beds (TBA pending finalized contract)
Grand Island: 30 bed (TBA pending finalized contract)

The first patients will be accepted to the Lincoln facility on Feb. 1. Other facilities will begin accepting patients 10 to 14 days after contracts are finalized.