Swing Bed

Yuma District Hospital is a certified swing bed hospital by the Center for Medicaid & Medicare Services. Because we are a critical access hospital, we can offer our Medicare patients extended services through our Swing Bed program.

The word “swing” simply means the hospital can determine if a hospital bed should be used for acute care or for skilled nursing. Having this flexibility allows us to provide further care beyond what’s usual so we can give more comprehensive care to our Medicare patients who need it.

Put simply, our Swing Bed program allows patients to stay in the hospital after their acute needs are met, as long as they are deemed to require “skilled” nursing or rehabilitative services. Sometimes, patients are not ready to be discharged and benefit from extended care.

Patients receiving out-of-town care can return to Yuma District Hospital for their skilled nursing/swing bed care, helping them preserve quality of life by being close to home, friends and family. Our swing bed program can also replace a need to go to a nursing home or rehab facility.