Boston Hospital Tackles Malnutrition Epidemic with Tech and Staffing

CMOs must address rising malnutrition rates to improve quality metrics and reimbursement

Apr. 15, 2026 at 10:06am

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A ghostly, translucent X-ray image revealing the human digestive system, with the organs glowing in shades of blue, purple, and teal against a dark background, conceptually illustrating the fragility and importance of proper nutrition for health.Malnutrition's impact on the body's internal systems highlights the urgent need for hospitals to address this growing public health crisis.Boston Today

Research shows malnutrition and mortality linked to malnutrition are on the rise in the United States, and management of malnourished patients has significant quality and reimbursement consequences. Boston Medical Center is using a combination of technology and staffing resources to identify malnourished patients, provide treatment, and thoroughly document malnutrition to ensure proper reimbursement.

Why it matters

Malnutrition can lead to longer hospital stays, higher readmission rates, and increased mortality - all of which impact a hospital's quality scores and reimbursement. As a safety net institution, addressing malnutrition is critical for Boston Medical Center to provide quality care for its fragile patient population.

The details

Boston Medical Center's approach includes using the hospital's electronic health record to flag patients with low body mass index, prompting clinicians to order malnutrition consults. The hospital's documentation staff also proactively alerts care teams when patients meet malnutrition criteria. Once identified, patients receive nutritional assessments and treatment recommendations from a dietitian. Thorough documentation of malnutrition diagnoses is essential to receive proper reimbursement from payers.

  • Malnutrition mortality has increased by an average of 5.5% annually since 2013.
  • Researchers project 20% of Americans will be malnourished by 2030.

The players

Boston Medical Center

A safety net hospital in Boston that is taking steps to address the growing problem of malnutrition among its patient population.

Christopher Manasseh, MBBS

Associate Chief Medical Officer and family medicine physician at Boston Medical Center, responsible for clinical outcomes and quality reporting.

Qventus

A company that has developed an AI tool to help hospitals identify and manage malnourished patients, which Boston Medical Center is considering adopting.

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What they’re saying

“CMOs are responsible for clinical outcomes and the accuracy of quality reporting. So, consistently identifying, treating, and documenting malnutrition has emerged as part of the core responsibility of a CMO.”

— Christopher Manasseh, Associate Chief Medical Officer

“If malnutrition is not documented appropriately, hospitals are underrepresenting patient acuity in CMS reporting and value-based programs.”

— Christopher Manasseh, Associate Chief Medical Officer

What’s next

Boston Medical Center is considering adopting an AI tool from Qventus that can automatically identify high-risk patients and prompt nutrition consults, in order to further streamline the process of addressing malnutrition.

The takeaway

Malnutrition is a growing public health crisis that CMOs must prioritize, as it has significant impacts on quality metrics, reimbursement, and patient outcomes. Hospitals like Boston Medical Center are using technology and staffing resources to proactively identify, treat, and thoroughly document malnutrition to ensure they are accurately representing patient acuity and receiving appropriate reimbursement.