CHESTER – Memorial Hospital is celebrating a remarkable milestone as its Swing Bed Program surpassed 1,000 days of patient care in 2025, marking a significant achievement for the team and the community. This past year the program provided 1,116 patientcare days.
For Swing Bed Coordinator Amy Eggemeyer, the milestone reflects both the program’s growth and the dedication of the staff. “We have never broken the 1,000-day mark, at least in the last eight years,” she said. “Each year our program continues to grow.”
L-R Back: Amy Eggemeyer, Anna Mueller, April Cadwell, Kathy Guetersloh, Alyssa Williams, Ariel Blair, Tabatha Colvis, John Havel, Kenneth Stout.
L-R Front: Paige Gendron, Maribeth Golding, Anna Burmester , Megan Buch, Kristyn Riley, and Paige Baumgarte.
As hospital stays have become shorter nationwide, many patients require additional recovery time and rehabilitation after being discharged from acute care. Memorial Hospital’s Swing Bed Program provides a vital solution, offering postacute “skilled care” for individuals who need daily medical oversight, therapy, or continued recovery support. Patients may be referred by physicians, acute care hospitals, or acute rehabilitation facilities, and the swing bed team evaluates each referral within 24 hours.
The program supports a wide range of needs, including postsurgical and postmedical recovery requiring special dressing changes, new treatment education, physical, occupational, or speech therapy, nutritional support, or intravenous medication management. Because many conditions may qualify a patient for swing bed care, families are encouraged to speak with their physician or consult Memorial Hospital’s discharge planner or care coordination manager for guidance.
Once admitted, patients meet with the swing bed team for a comprehensive assessment of their condition, functional abilities, and personal recovery goals. The interdisciplinary team then develops a customized treatment plan and an estimated timeline to help the patient transition successfully from hospital to home. Family involvement is strongly encouraged, with loved ones included in decisionmaking, updated on daily progress, and invited to participate in triweekly interdisciplinary care meetings. This collaborative, patientcentered approach ensures that each person receives the support, structure, and communication needed for a smooth recovery.
“Our goal is to make the transition from hospital to home as seamless and reassuring as possible,” said Maribeth Golding, Discharge Planner. “From the moment we receive a referral, we coordinate closely with the patient, their family, and the care team to align services like therapy, education, nutrition, and medications, so patients feel supported every step of the way, right here close to home.”
To celebrate the program’s record-breaking year, staff members gathered for a festive event featuring pizza and ice cream cake. A special display showcased 1,000 heartshaped candies, symbolizing “1,000 hearts for 1,000 days”, as a tribute to the compassion and teamwork behind the milestone. Amy expressed her pride and gratitude for the team’s ongoing commitment. “I am very proud and thankful for a successful Swing Bed Program and feel very lucky to be able to provide topnotch care to the people in our community,” she said. “This could not happen without the excellent teamwork from all those involved in the Swing Bed Program at Memorial Hospital.”
With continued growth and a dedicated interdisciplinary team, Memorial Hospital looks forward to building on this milestone and providing exceptional, local postacute care for years to come.