MHC Launches Hospital-At-Home Program

MHC Launches Hospital-At-Home Program
12.03.2021

The unprecedented volumes, patients with acute medical illnesses, and staffing challenges caused by the ongoing pandemic have motivated many healthcare systems to implement creative patient care models. Munson Healthcare, in coordination with Munson Healthcare Home Health Services, is launching a new patient care model: Hospital-At-Home Program. Munson Healthcare’s new Hospital-At-Home Program aims to increase inpatient bed capacity by keeping COVID positive Emergency Department patients home instead of being admitted when clinically possible. Phase I of this system-wide program launches today, Dec. 3, at Cadillac Hospital and Paul Oliver Memorial Hospital, then will expand to all Munson Healthcare Emergency Departments on Monday, Dec. 6.

What is the Hospital-At-Home Program?
Phase I: COVID positive ED patients will be discharged then treated virtually from home rather than be admitted.

Who is this Hospital-At-Home Program​ for?

  • Patients who test positive for COVID, have relatively low acuity needs, and would benefit from receiving oxygen to manage their illness at home.
  • Patients will be carefully selected by their ED provider based on defined clinical criteria.

How does the Hospital-At-Home Program work?

  • Once a patient is identified in the ED as a good candidate for care at home and has virtual visit capabilities (phone, computer, Wi-Fi access), a Home Health nurse will work with the patient to determine the best care model.
  • If the patient has a Primary Care Provider:
    • PCMH Practice: The Home Health team will contact the case manager to refer the patient.
    • Non-PCMH Practice: The Home Health team will work with that PCP to assess whether they have virtual visit capability and capacity to follow these patients.  
  • If the patient does not have a PCP or if the established PCP does not have the capacity to follow the patient, Home Health will work with a team of Munson Healthcare providers to ensure virtual visits take place as needed until the patient’s COVID episode is confirmed to have stabilized or has been resolved.
  • The patient will be sent home with oxygen and a pulse oximeter to monitor oxygen saturation levels. Munson Healthcare Home Medical Equipment will process these referrals.
  • A Home Health nurse will call daily to assess how the patient is managing at home. 
  • If the patient experiences worsening symptoms, a virtual visit with a provider will be arranged.
  • If the patient’s condition continues to decline, the patient will be admitted to a MHC hospital based on bed availability.

Dr. Aditya Neravetla, Hospitalist and Chief Medical Officer at Munson Healthcare Grayling Hospital, has been co-leading the Hospital-At-Home pilot program implementation with Shari Wilson, Vice President of Munson Healthcare Home Health Services.

“This Hospital-At-Home pilot program is consistent with Munson Healthcare’s strategy around innovation and occurs at a time when we need to adapt to options that can mitigate the stress of our at-capacity hospitals,” shared Dr. Neravetla. “We will leverage what we have learned through caring for our patients from the beginning of this pandemic and will continue to adjust to meet their needs.”

Questions? Contact Dr. Aditya Neravetla or Shari Wilson.

Provider resources for MHC's Hospital-At-Home Program, including criteria and workflows, can be found on our COVID-19 Patient Care webpage.

Additional Resources and Information about the Success of Hospital-At-Home Programs: