Service Aims to Ensure Open Beds for Patients Requiring Higher Levels of Acute Care
Inspira Health and SENA Health recently launched a pilot of their Healing at Home program that can potentially transform the patient experience for many Emergency Department patients at Inspira Medical Center Mullica Hill.
Healing at Home allows patients with certain diagnoses to receive hospital-level care in their homes. The program does not accept patients who meet the criteria for an acute inpatient admission. To qualify, patients must have one of the five eligible diagnoses and be deemed appropriate for care in the home:
- Congestive heart failure
- Urinary tract infection
- COPD/Asthma
- Cellulitis
- Pneumonia
Patients with any insurance plan can be admitted to this program. The patient will not have to pay for SENA services. For lab testing, imaging, prescriptions, and community referrals, SENA will provide the patient’s insurance information to the associated vendors who will bill the plan.
“Not only does Healing at Home help to improve patient experiences, it also aims to address the ever-present issue of hospital capacity,” said Jamie Patel, M.D., chief medical officer at Inspira Medical Centers Mullica Hill and Mannington and Inspira Health Center Woodbury. “Patients who require further care, medications and monitoring after spending time in the ED can now receive that care at home.”
How does the program work?
Physicians collaborate closely with the SENA Health team to determine whether patients can safely receive care in their homes. Once transported home, patients are monitored by doctors and other health care providers from SENA Health, who can administer medication, draw labs, monitor vital signs and assist with follow-up care. Each patient is provided with a kit containing wireless monitoring devices that automatically send updates to the SENA Health team. An emergency alert pendant, which sends a message directly to the SENA Health monitoring station, is also included in the kit.
Benefits for providers
The Healing at Home program offers several advantages to providers:
- In-home insights: “Physicians can gain valuable insights into a patient's home environment, diet and lifestyle,” said Dr. Patel. “This information helps us understand the root causes of their hospital visit or medical condition exacerbation and allows for more effective patient care.”
- Enhanced services: The program enables providers to offer patients a higher level of care while helping them avoid hospitalization. Additional services such as home care and physical therapy are arranged by SENA Health, ensuring comprehensive patient support and continued care coordination.
- Reduced risk: By placing patients in the right care setting, providers can reduce the risk of hospital-acquired infections and other complications associated with extended hospital stays.
- Collaboration: “Our partners at SENA Health collaborate closely with Inspira, helping to facilitate continuity of care for patients,” said Dr. Patel. This partnership ensures that the patient's health journey is managed across different levels of care. SENA Health helps transition the patient back to the community PCP and does provide support documentation about the patient’s care while in the program.
Healing at Home represents one of the newer options in health care delivery. With this innovative program, Inspira Health aims to set new standards for patient care and improve the well-being of our communities.
Providers can reach out to Dr. Jamie Patel for more information.
