Dear Colleagues:
It seems we're all as busy or busier than we've ever been. We're seeing more patients with more demanding clinical needs. We have more paperwork and electronic filing requirements for our patient care and both regulatory and billing compliance. And so many of our physician staff are stepping into formal and informal leadership roles.
On behalf of the BWPO and hospital leadership, thank you for your hard work, professionalism and dedication. Our physicians continue to meet and exceed the demands placed on them at a phenomenal pace. We are busy, and our services are in demand by the general public and our growing network of referring clinicians.
For example, during February, our inpatient census was 94 percent for the entire month, and March came in at 91 percent. Hospital-wide year-to-date, our discharges have increased by 1 percent and average patient length of stay increased by 2 percent, meaning we have a few more patients and they're staying a little longer. Through February, we have seen a 7 percent increase in outpatient procedures and visits as we've had almost 750,000 year-to-date.
In addition, we are seeing increases in inpatient transfers from the private physician groups and community hospitals. And our collaborative efforts and cooperative planning with hospitals and private practices in southeastern Massachusetts are proving effective as we have seen a 13 percent increase in transfers from that region.
The success of Brigham and Women's Hospital rests in our ability to deliver top quality care. Today's health care market is growing more and more competitive, and our patients choose to come here rather than one of the several other academic medical centers or community hospitals.
Thank you for consistently delivering top-notch care every day and night and finding the time to do everything else that is required of you. We truly appreciate all you do.