Hospitals send referrals when discharge planners and case managers know you, trust you, and know you can start care fast. That doesn’t happen from one lunch. It happens from consistent follow-up and performance. Set clear referral-to-SOC intake management so partners see you can deliver.
Who to talk to
Discharge planning and case management. Introduce your agency, your service area, and your payers. Ask what they need from a home health partner: turnaround time, communication (do they want a call when you admit?), and any forms or systems they use. Then deliver. If you say you’ll do SOC within 48 hours, do it. If you don’t, they’ll send the next referral elsewhere.
Staying on their radar
One visit isn’t enough. Check in periodically: share your star rating if it’s good, or tell them you’ve improved your time-to-SOC. When they send you a referral, acknowledge it quickly and update them when the patient is admitted. Experienced business development leads track which contacts they’ve met, when they last followed up, and what was promised,so no one falls through the cracks. We have a discharge partner outreach script you can download: what to say on the first contact, how to follow up, and a short tracker so you know who to touch base with this month. Use the button below to get it.