Hospital–Community Partnerships and 30-Day All-Cause Readmission Rates in High-Need and Low-Need Communities

Abstract

This study examined hospital–community partnership effects on 30-day readmission rates across 2,484 U.S. hospitals. Fixed effect linear models analyzed the impact of three partnership types across community strata. In average-to-low need communities, healthcare system partnerships reduced hospital-wide, heart failure, pneumonia, and THA/TKA readmissions, while local agency partnerships reduced hospital-wide, heart failure, and pneumonia rates. In high-need communities, all partnership types significantly decreased COPD and pneumonia readmissions, with community-based partnerships also reducing hospital-wide rates. Healthcare system partnerships showed the strongest effect on COPD reduction (β = −0.56, p < 0.001). These findings suggest partnerships may reduce readmissions, with stronger effects in high-need communities.