DENVER and ATLANTA—Emory Healthcare and DispatchHealth are collaborating to offer patients a new option to receive convenient and safe follow-up and/or high-acuity medical care in the comfort of their own homes. The collaboration is designed to improve access to health care and reduce the total cost of care for patients throughout Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding communities.
“We are excited to join forces with DispatchHealth to bring new care models which provide more convenience for patients while leveraging established providers who can assist with this approach,” said Will ElLaissi, director of innovation at Emory Healthcare. “We are committed to creating at-home care options for those living in and around Atlanta.”
Working closely with Emory Healthcare, DispatchHealth brings the power of the hospital to the comfort of patients’ homes through three programs: acute care, bridge care and ED to home.
“The site of care for higher acuity needs is rapidly evolving and DispatchHealth’s proven care model empowers health systems to go beyond traditional care settings and meet patients where they are,” said Mark Prather, CEO and co-founder of DispatchHealth. “DispatchHealth is committed to value-based collaborations designed to improve access to care, deliver better patient experiences and outcomes and reduce the total cost of care. We are excited to work with Emory Healthcare to expand access to high acuity care to complex patients in their homes.”
Patients can request DispatchHealth’s acute care for a wide range of acute medical services including injuries and illnesses, viral infections, COPD exacerbations, congestive heart failure, urinary infections and more. Once requested, an emergency care-trained DispatchHealth medical team with the necessary tools and treatments, including on-site diagnostics, which include a CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act)-certified lab, provides in-home care to the patient. DispatchHealth is open seven days a week (8 a.m. to 10 p.m. in metro Atlanta), 365 days a year, including holidays. To request care, patients can call 678-400-3240 or visit DispatchHealth.com.
Additionally, in collaboration with Emory Healthcare, DispatchHealth will supplement the health system’s efforts to provide timely care after a patient’s ER visit or hospitalization. DispatchHealth’s ED to home program, developed during the pandemic, aims to reduce post-discharge returns to the ED. The program serves identified patients who are stable enough to discharge from the ED but need follow-up evaluation and care from a provider soon after discharge. ED-to-home brings hospital-level care to medically complex patients within 72 hours of discharge.
Through DispatchHealth’s bridge Care program, patients identified as being at high risk of hospital readmission will have access to proactive in-home care within 48 hours post-discharge from an acute care hospital stay. This service helps identify gaps in care and ‘bridge’ the patient back to their primary care physician or specialist.
“The opportunity for us to find ways to assist patients in their homes with proper care for an acute illness or injury, following an emergency department visit or inpatient stay at one of our hospitals creates enhanced care coordination and overall efficiency for the patients we serve,” said Sarah Decaro, associate chief medical officer at Emory University Hospital and assistant professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Hospital Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine. “We want to be able to meet the needs of our patients within the comfort of their homes.”
DispatchHealth’s complete platform delivers, provides and coordinates medical care for patients in their homes. Since its founding, DispatchHealth’s innovative model of providing high-acuity in-home care has proven to save an average of $1,100-$1,700 per acute care visit. The collaboration between Emory Healthcare and DispatchHealth brings a combined focus on the continuous improvement of patient health outcomes at a lower cost through expanded access to care.
