(MedPage Today) – For more than 3 years — 1,193 days to be exact — the patient had been confined to an acute care bed despite the fact that for 948 days, or 80% of that time, he had no medical need to be there. He was what hospitals call “an avoidable bed day” patient, or an ABD, Melody Thomas, RN, Scripps Mercy Hospital’s director of patient care and case management, told MedPage Today.

It was a very exciting day to say goodbye to a patient they had taken care of for so long, she said. His destination: a locked behavioral health facility that was more appropriate for his care. (Read More)