New home-based care program brings alternatives to traditional skilled nursing home stays
MADISON, WI, APRIL 23, 2024 – SSM Health and Inbound Health, a leading provider of in-home, advanced care programs for health systems, are excited to announce an innovative new partnership to bring personalized, in-home, post-hospital health care services to patients.
The first phase of this collaboration begins at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital – Madison this week with the launch of a new SSM Health at Home program – Recovery Care at Home. Hospitalized patients who meet certain criteria will have the option to be discharged home to receive services traditionally offered in a skilled nursing facility within their own homes.
“Research shows that patients prefer to receive in-home care and often recover faster within a familiar environment and are less likely to return to a hospital,”
said Dr. James Lehman, SSM Health Wisconsin Regional Clinical Program Medical Director.
“Patients being cared for at home spend less time in bed and are able to be more mobile so they can continue in their daily lives with their families, friends and pets to achieve better health outcomes.”
Patients eligible for the new program will receive personalized, daily in-home and virtual visits from a team of specially trained physicians, nurses, therapists and other clinicians to ensure that they receive the highest standards of care. Each patient will receive a digital tablet to be used during the program to provide enhanced remote monitoring and round-the-clock assistance from the care team at the push of a button.
A care coordinator arranges for all of the patient’s care visits to ensure seamless communication among the patient’s primary care provider, specialty caregivers and support network. The program brings into the patient’s home the same equipment and services typically offered in a hospital or nursing home setting, including: home infusion services, laboratory and imaging services and durable medical equipment.
“This collaboration represents a major step forward in our commitment to redefining health care delivery. We are extremely honored to partner with SSM Health and we look forward to working together to empower patients with advanced, personalized care within the comforting walls of their homes,”
said Dave Kerwar, CEO for Inbound Health.
In addition to providing skilled nursing care within a patient’s own environment, this new program also will help to alleviate capacity issues challenging area hospitals and skilled nursing facilities, according to Kyle Nondorf, VP for Acute Care for SSM Health in Wisconsin.
“Through this innovative new program, we can ensure patients will receive the skilled nursing care they need in their own homes which will free up beds for those who must be cared for in a hospital setting,” Nondorf said. “SSM Health will continue to partner with area skilled nursing homes who fulfill a vital role in serving patients with complex care needs that cannot be managed at home.”
dSSM Health and Inbound Health plan to expand their innovative partnership to extend the Recovery Care at Home program as well as a hospital at home program to eligible patients at additional SSM Health hospitals across the Midwest later this year.
About Inbound Health:
Inbound Health provides a full stack of capabilities that enable health systems and health plans to offer hospital and skilled nursing facility-level care in the home. With a commitment to quality and compassionate care, Inbound Health has treated more than 8,000 patients across 350+ DRGs and counting and will further customize the care model to the needs and strategies of its partners. For more information, visit inboundhealth.com or find us on LinkedIn or X.
About SSM Health:
Nationally recognized for quality and innovation, SSM Health is a Catholic, not-for-profit, fully integrated health system working to advance health equity and empower all people to achieve their full potential.
With care delivery sites in Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin, SSM Health provides convenient access to high-quality community-based services as well as world-class academic medicine, clinical trials, and research studies. The organization’s footprint includes hospitals, physician offices, outpatient and virtual care services, senior care, comprehensive home care and hospice services, a fully transparent pharmacy benefit company, a health insurance company, and an accountable care organization.
As one of the largest employers in every community it serves, the organization’s 40,000 team members and 13,900+ providers are dedicated to fulfilling SSM Health’s Mission: “Through our exceptional health care services, we reveal the healing presence of God.” Like our founding sisters, we care deeply for our communities — SSM Health reported $470 million in community benefit in 2023, including the provision of more than $346 million in uncompensated care. For more information, visit ssmhealth.com or find us on Facebook and LinkedIn.
