Providence Swedish Hospital at Home admitted its first patient in August of 2021, beginning a paradigm shift, building care around the patient and their lifestyle and environment. Recently, Olympia’s Bill Cullen was admitted home as the 500th patient in the program.
Bill and his wife of almost 62 years, Joan, can’t say enough about the program. “Being able to come home was just great,” Bill said, after just a couple of days and four nurse visits. He’s since been discharged. The Cullen’s aren’t alone in their satisfaction. The program has shown very high rates of satisfaction with care – 95% of patients report high satisfaction with their care. “Hospital at Home patients love this program,” said Pita Nims, RN MN, clinical director of Hospital at Home.
What is Providence Swedish Hospital at Home?
Providence Swedish Hospital at Home delivers all the acute services needed to fulfill a patient’s care plan in their home setting. St. Peter Hospital patients meeting inpatient criteria who reside within 30 minutes of the hospital and who are clinically appropriate, are given the option to be admitted home as the place of service, rather than a room in the hospital. Patients are provided a patient monitoring kit with Bluetooth enabled peripherals to monitor temperature, blood pressure, oxygen levels, and weights as well as a tablet to interface with a 24-hour nurse and physician command center.
Cullen came to the hospital because of dehydration, and it was discovered he had diverticulitis. He needed intravenous antibiotics. He was able to go home with an IV, and the clinical team who came to his home were able to administer the antibiotics. “Bill was in the hospital for 16 days in December so when the second hospitalization happened, he really didn’t want to be in the hospital again” Joan said. ” Sleeping through the night in the hospital is difficult because of all the interruptions. When Hospital at Home became an option, it felt like a lifesaver.
Patients are cared for by both a virtual doctor and nurse team, and a team of in-home clinicians such as nurses and physical therapists during their stay. Multiple safety protocols are put in place to ensure 24/7 clinical oversight and support for escalation of care back to the hospital if necessary.
Patients treated in Hospital at Home models have been shown to have improved outcomes and greater satisfaction with their care. Hospitals around the globe have shown Hospital at Home to:
⦁ Decrease readmission rate
⦁ Decrease mortality rate
⦁ Decrease falls
⦁ Decrease adverse events
⦁ Increase patient mobility
⦁ Increase patient and caregiver satisfaction
Why Hospital at Home?
Hospital at Home is designed around the patient, their family, and their circumstances. Patients are assessed individually for appropriateness to ensure their care needs can be met at home, and that they have a safe environment in which to heal.
The Cullen’s have 2 daughters, 5 grandchildren and 3 great- grandchildren, all but one of whom live locally. So, it was much more convenient for them to visit them at home than in the hospital. “And if we needed anything, we had a number to call, which was very assuring,” added Joan.
About 10-15% of hospital admissions are appropriate for Hospital at Home. It is covered by Medicare and certain other insurance. “With the increased acceptance of telemedicine, it presents another option for our patients,” said Nims.
For more information please contact:
Angela Maki, Communication Director, 360-280-1710 or angela.maki@providence.org
Chris Thomas, Communication Sr. Manager, 360.508-2530 or chris.thomas@providence.org
or www.providence.org>lp>swedish