Sarasota Memorial Demonstrates How Closed-Loop Referrals with Unite Us Reduce Hospital Readmissions Across Patient Populations
Two new evaluations show reductions in readmissions and improved outcomes for patients across the health system through proactive coordinated care, particularly maternal Medicaid patients and infants.
SARASOTA, Fla., October 19, 2026--Sarasota Memorial Hospital, one of the largest public health systems in Florida, and Unite Us, one of the nation's trusted technology partners for integrating health and community-based care, today released two evaluations demonstrating that connecting patients with community-based services through closed-loop referrals can remarkably reduce hospital readmissions. Specifically, the researchers highlighted:
A 17% reduction in 30-day all-cause readmission risk among those referred across the health system
A 59% reduction in the odds of postpartum-related and all-cause 30-day readmission for maternal patients insured by Medicaid
A 54% reduction in odds of 30-day readmissions for infants
A 22% reduction in 30-day all-cause readmission risk among patients under age 65
"These results demonstrate what's possible when healthcare and community partners work together to address the social and practical barriers that affect health beyond the walls of our hospitals. Seeing meaningful reductions in readmissions across multiple patient populations reinforces the importance of delivering whole-person care," said Mary O'Connor, manager of Community Health & Partnerships at Sarasota Memorial Hospital.
Read the full evaluations here:
Hospital-Wide Evaluation: http://uniteus.com/case-study/sarasota-memorial-hospital-wide-hrsn-screening-readmissions/
Maternal & Infant Evaluation: http://uniteus.com/case-study/sarasota-memorial-maternal-infant-readmissions/
Hospital-wide Evaluation Demonstrates Impact of Closed-Loop Referrals on Reducing Readmissions
Sarasota Memorial has spent the past several years strengthening processes to proactively address patients' non-medical needs and connect them to community-based services. In partnership with community partners, the health system uses Unite Us' closed-loop referral platform in the care delivery process across the health system, enabling clinicians to identify non-medical needs during inpatient stays, coordinate referrals to community organizations, and measure and track outcomes to confirm if patients receive the support they need after discharge.
A recent evaluation of Sarasota Memorial's systemwide implementation of the closed-loop referral platform assesses how coordinated community referrals impact readmissions across inpatient populations. For patients referred to community resources during their inpatient stay, the study found a: