SECTION 1. Chapter 19A of the General Laws are hereby amended by inserting after section 4D the following section:-

Section 4E. (a) There is hereby established within the executive office of health and human services a Hospital to Home Partnership Program, with the mission to promote partnerships between acute-care hospitals, as defined by section 25B of chapter 111 and aging services access points, or ASAPs, as defined by section 4B of chapter 19A, and to strengthen communication and coordination with community providers to promote institutional diversion and increase discharge rates from hospitals to home and community-based settings.

(b) There will be within each participating acute-care hospital no less than 1 ASAP staff member serving as home and community-based services hospital liaison. The liaison shall support the hospital’s efforts to connect individuals to home and community-based services programs and other community services to enable a community discharge instead of a skilled nursing facility or other institutional placement.