RESNICK NEUROPSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL AT UCLA

1. Top 10 Disparities

2. Equity Plan

UCLA Health is committed to advancing the health and wellbeing of every patient in the broad and diverse communities we serve. Through the Office of Health Equity and Inclusive Excellence and the DGSOM Office of Inclusive Excellence, we work to eliminate inequities and foster a culture of belonging in care, education, and research. The Office of Community builds partnerships across Los Angeles to advance health and wellness. Our LGBTQ+ Health initiatives offer services for patients of all identities, while the Homeless Healthcare Collaborative delivers free, mobile, trauma-informed medical and behavioral health care to people experiencing homelessness.

In 2024, UCLA Health—inclusive of Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital—became the first health system in California to earn the Joint Commission's Health Care Equity Certification, affirming that equity is embedded within our structures of governance, clinical care, and continuous improvement.

UNPLANNED READMISSIONS HEALTH EQUITY ACTION PLAN

When patients leave the hospital, we know they need support successfully returning to their community to avoid unexpected re-hospitalization. To support patients during their transition after hospitalization, the RNPH provides highly coordinated care, daily interdisciplinary review, structured social work reassessments, equity-focused review of safety practices, and tailored post-discharge services. Health equity analyses reveal modest differences in readmission rates across demographic groups: Sex (M vs. F disparity: 1.2), Age (35—49 vs. 50—64 disparity: 1.1), and Payor (Medi-Cal vs. Medicare disparity: 1.3). Addressing these differences is central to our commitment to exceptional quality and safety of care for all patients.

RNPH has several practices in place that create a strong platform for delivering excellent and equitable readmissions outcomes. First, for the past five years, the Post-Acute Psychiatry Clinic has provided outpatient follow-up for patients within seven days of discharge from the inpatient unit, regardless of age or insurance coverage. This ensures that patients using Medi-Cal, Medicare, or commercial insurance, and patients with no insurance, have equal access to care after an inpatient stay. Licensed therapists in this clinic provide both short-term psychotherapy and case management, linking patients to long-term mental health care in the community. Patients seen in this clinic are considerably less likely to experience an unplanned readmission within 30 days, with a rate of less than 5% as compared to about 12% for all patients discharged from RNPH and more than 30% for all Medi-Cal beneficiaries in Los Angeles County.

Second, daily interdisciplinary safety huddles actively track readmissions in real time. Readmissions are discussed within 48 hours, allowing interdisciplinary leaders and frontline staff to identify immediate opportunities for intervention.

While these structures provide a strong foundation, more work is needed to specifically identify and address inequities. We aim to maintain or improve overall psychiatric readmission outcomes while eliminating inequities among patient populations, including payor, age, and sex. By strengthening our existing practices with deeper equity analyses, targeted interventions, and ongoing measurement, UCLA Psychiatry will advance toward more equitable care transitions and improved long-term recovery for all patients.

IMPROVEMENT STRATEGIES AND MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES:

Maintain existing best practices to prevent unplanned readmissions:
1. Post-acute Psychiatry Clinic Access: Continue ensuring that all discharged patients are offered appointments within seven days of discharge.
2. Daily Monitoring of Readmissions: Maintain structured discussion of all readmissions during Active Daily Management huddles, including attention to demographic factors that may influence outcomes.

By the end of 2026, we will analyze the root causes of inequities in unplanned readmissions:

1. Build and monitor dynamic displays for post-discharge follow-up completion rates across all patients and among relevant populations.
2. Investigate root causes of unexpected variations in outcomes and routinely report findings to psychiatry quality forums.

By the end of 2027, we will implement tailored interventions to improve inequities in unplanned readmissions:
1. Publish an updated equity action plan that integrates findings from follow-up completion, daily huddle monitoring, and social work reassessment reviews, with concrete recommendations tailored to closing the identified inequities.
2. Develop tailored interventions and improvement plans to address significant inequities identified through continuous performance monitoring.
3. Implement targeted interventions to address drivers of inequity in readmissions.

3. Structural Measures

4. Web Address for Equity Report

https://www.uclahealth.org/community-equity

5. Download Equity Measures Report

Click on the link below to download the equity measures report.

6. Looking for Related Reports?

• Hospital Supplier Diversity Plan
• Hospital Fair Billing Policies
• Hospital Profile