Unleashing the potential of subacute care.

The emergence of subacute care as a legitimate setting for certain patients is attracting the attention of payers and providers in local delivery systems. The author suggests that incorporating subacute care within the continuum of services can have specific and immediate payoffs for payers and providers alike. The article explores alternative ways in which hospitals can provide subacute care and proposes an approach that involves the formation of a hospital subacute care organization with a long-term care provider.