St. Joseph’s Health & MVP Health Care Partner to Accelerate Post‑Acute Care Placement Amid Record‑Setting Flu Surge

 

SYRACUSE, N.Y.— In response to what has been identified by local health officials as Central New York's worst flu season in over a decade, and with hospitals in Upstate New York breaking records for flu-related hospitalizations, St. Joseph’s Health is recognizing efforts by MVP Health Care to support the hospital as St. Joseph’s works to increase capacity.

 

In response to high demand over many days and a request for assistance, MVP partnered with St. Joseph’s to bring on extra team members over the weekend to help respond to approval requests for care and expedite care decisions for MVP patients. This allows the hospital to discharge patients, creating bed capacity to support the continued community demand.

 

This short-term partnership with MVP comes amidst hospital bed demand not seen since the COVID epidemic, and over a week of significant demand for inpatient beds.

 

Timely post-acute placement is essential for maintaining the continuum of care. When patients remain in the hospital longer than necessary, it can delay recovery, increase risk of complications, and limit access for others in urgent need of care. By streamlining these transitions, St. Joseph’s Health and MVP Health Care improved bed availability and supported better outcomes for patients ensuring they received the right level of care at the right time.

 

"Over the weekend, MVP deployed additional dedicated staff members to quickly coordinate on post-acute care plans for our patients to ensure shortened processing time,” said Meredith Price, VP, Acute Care Operations at St. Joseph’s Health. “This initiative supported the acceleration of transitions to skilled nursing, rehabilitation, and home care settings, relieving the pressure on our inpatient and emergency departments.”

 

MVP’s Proactive Rapid‑Response Measures

• Given the surge in demand and the pressure on hospital beds, MVP added extra personnel throughout the weekend to monitor discharge-ready patients in real time.
• This proactive approach reduced delays in placement and allowed newly freed beds to be available more quickly for incoming patients in need.

 

“In a surge like this, speed and coordination are everything,” said Dr. Richard Dal Col, President of MVP Health Care. “Over the weekend, MVP mobilized additional teams to keep approvals moving and help patients transition to the right post‑acute setting without delay. Through critical collaboration—removing friction and monitoring cases in real time—we supported St. Joseph’s in turning beds safely and quickly, so more people could get the care they need, when they need it.”

 

“This flu season has placed extraordinary demand on our region’s hospital systems,” added Dr. Steven Hanks, President and CEO of St. Joseph’s Health and St. Peter’s Health Partners. “Our partnership with MVP Health Care exemplifies the community‑based teamwork that truly makes a difference. By working closely and deploying extra resources, we were able to streamline post‑acute placements and open much‑needed beds rapidly. We are grateful to MVP for stepping up when it mattered most and to every staff member helping us keep Central New York healthy.”