Virginia Mason Franciscan Health (VMFH) launched VMFH Home Recovery Care at St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma in collaboration with Contessa. Home Recovery Care brings all the essential elements of a hospital into the comfort of patients’ homes, offering a convenient and safe alternative to the traditional inpatient stay. The program will expand access to high-acuity care and increase crucial inpatient capacity while reducing the overall cost of care.
“As we launch VMFH Home Recovery Care, we look forward to defining a new standard for care delivery that improves patient outcomes, while lowering the overall cost of care,” said Ketul J. Patel, CEO of Virginia Mason Franciscan Health. “This innovative care model allows us to offer our patients a more convenient way to receive care while increasing our inpatient capacity for patients with the highest acuity.”
Contessa is a nationwide leader in delivering comprehensive care at home. This model, on average, reduces readmission rates by 44% and decreases the mean length of a hospital stay by 35% while delivering high patient satisfaction and improved outcomes.
“We are pleased to partner with Virginia Mason Franciscan Health to provide the region with greater access to high-quality care in the comfort of patients’ homes,” said Travis Messina, CEO of Contessa. “Contessa’s comprehensive home-based care model supports VMFH’s commitment to meeting the evolving needs of the communities they serve by giving their patients more choices for where to receive care.”
Eligible patients at St. Joseph Medical Center can choose Home Recovery Care instead of a hospital stay. Patients are transported back to their homes to receive hospital-level care the same day, supported by staff and the medical equipment they need for their recovery. The service is ideal for patients with a variety of acute conditions who would otherwise be admitted to the hospital, such as COVID-19, RSV, pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), congestive heart failure, and urinary tract infections.
Key components of Home Recovery Care include:
- A physician-led care plan.
- A combination of in-person visits, and 24/7 virtual care by a physician, an acute care nurse, and a recovery care coordinator through a computer tablet, provided at no additional cost.
- Seamless remote monitoring of vitals including blood pressure, pulse, heart rate, weight, as well as daily health assessments in adherence to the care plan.
- High-quality medical care at home, including IVs, wound care, and dressing changes.
- Assessments for patient success, including medication reconciliation, and identifying social determinants of health, such as food insecurity, that can be addressed to improve the patient’s overall health and recovery.
The program is initially available only to Medicare fee-for service patients. Virginia Mason Franciscan Health is exploring opportunities to expand to additional locations and include patients with other health plans in the future. To learn more visit: Virginia Mason Franciscan Health (vmfh.org) and contessahealth.com