Statewide Transfer Coordination and Patient Transfer Rates Among Hospitals During Occupancy Stress

Did implementation of state medical operations coordination centers (SMOCCs) improve rates of patient transfers among hospitals during pandemic surges?In this cohort study of 441 709 interhospital transfers using interrupted time series analysis spanning 8 US states, initiation of a SMOCC during a pandemic was associated with an estimated immediate 35% increase in interhospital transfer rates, and after a lag period, transfers appeared to increase with surging occupancy stress. These findings were validated in transfers that involved rural areas and highest-acuity patients.This study highlights the potential value of SMOCCs in facilitating movement of patients in need of transfer and avoiding gridlocks during large-scale public health emergencies.

Corresponding Author: Sameer S. Kadri, MD, MS, Critical Care Medicine Department, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 10 Center Dr, Bldg 10 2C-145, Bethesda, MD 20892 (sameer.kadri@nih.gov).

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