A significant portion of health care costs come from patient care after they leave the hospital.

Patients often go home without a clear, coordinated plan, leading to preventable rehospitalizations.

Discharge coordinators can help by scheduling follow-ups and ensuring patients understand their care plan.

Connecting care between the hospital and home can lower costs and improve patient outcomes.

Some of the most expensive and avoidable costs in health care are generated after a patient leaves the hospital.

In New York, where hospital stays rank among the most expensive in the country, inpatient care averages $3,489 per day, the fifth highest in the nation — and rehospitalizations cost $3.7 billion each year. A meaningful share of that spending is tied to what happens in the days after a patient goes home.

We have to plan care better in New York

Patients often leave the hospital without a clear, connected plan for what comes next. Follow-up visits may not be scheduled. Medications can be confusing. Primary care providers may........

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