Leading Practices in Alternate Level of Care (ALC) Avoidance: A Standardized Approach.

Providers across the healthcare system want to provide the right care, in the right place, in a timely manner. Patients listed as alternate level of care (ALC) are often not in the right place to receive the necessary care. In 2014, using a standardized approach, the Toronto Central Community Care Access Centre (CCAC), now Toronto Central Local Health Integration Network (LHIN), set out to reduce the number of ALC beds in hospitals to ensure that more people received the most appropriate level and type of care. Case studies cited in this article will highlight the successes that CCAC and its various partners have realized in developing and implementing strategies.