Discharge Planning

The Discharge Planning Department of Fulton County Health Center provides services that help patients deal with problems arising from or exaggerated by illness or injury. Our purpose is to identify a patient’s unique needs for continuing physical, emotional, housekeeping, transportation, social, as well as other needs, and to arrange services to meet those needs. Discharge Planning focuses on meeting the patient’s continuing healthcare needs after discharge, and may include consulting with the patient and family, or referring the patient to available resources in the community. Discharge planning services may include assisting patients and families with:

  • Long-term (Nursing Home) placement
  • Home health services
  • Hospice services
  • Ambulatory care services
  • Rehabilitation (Skilled Nursing Home) services
  • Support groups
  • Community agency services
  • Community mental health services
  • Adult foster care

The Utilization Review Department of Fulton County Health Center provides services to promote quality medical care and services in a cost-effective manner in order to maximize the best possible outcomes for the patient. Our purpose is to focus on making sure patients receive the most appropriate services based on their specific healthcare needs and to ensure cost effectiveness without risking the quality of the care patients receive. Utilization Review services may include assisting patients and families with:

  • Pre-certification of both inpatient and outpatient hospital stays, outpatient diagnostic tests, and both inpatient and outpatient surgical procedures
  • Certification of continued inpatient hospital stays
  • Appeals of denied claims due to pre-certification/certification problems

Discharge Planning and Utilization Review services are available to all Fulton County Health Center patients and their families regardless of payment source or status as prior, current, or future patients. Services are available to address needs of patients ranging from newborn to geriatric. Services are also available to those patients/families using the hospital on an outpatient basis (including the Emergency Department) with identified needs and/or requests for services in this area