VCU Health launches Hospital at Home, the first hospital-at-home program in central Virginia
Hospital at Home provides hospital-level care from the comfort of home, improving patient experience and outcomes; program aims to serve nearly two thousand patients in its first year while preserving access at VCU Medical Center for higher acuity patient needs
January 17, 2023
Hospital at Home is a new VCU Health program that allows patients to receive acute, hospital-level care from within the comfort of their homes. (VCU Enterprise Marketing and Communications)
This story was updated May 31, 2024 after VCU Health changed the name of the program from Home Hospital to Hospital at Home.
VCU Health today announced the launch of Hospital at Home, a new program that allows patients to receive acute, hospital-level care from within the comfort of their homes. VCU Health is the first health care system with a hospital-at-home program in central Virginia.
“Patient-centered care is at the heart of everything we do,” said Michael Roussos, president of VCU Medical Center. “Hospital at Home provides our patients with the choice to receive high-quality care in an environment where they are most comfortable and surrounded by people that they love. Providing our patients with this choice improves overall patient satisfaction, comfort, and -- most importantly -- health outcomes.”
Patients who normally would have required a hospital stay for acute care needs, such as sepsis, congestive heart failure, or pneumonia, now have the option to have the same level of care in their homes. Similar to staying in a hospital, a physician will oversee the care for patients in the program. Hospital-level medical care is provided through video and remote patient monitoring. Acute care nurses and other staff will also visit patients in-person and will be available around the clock to support patients and their families by making sure services and supplies, like oxygen, are delivered directly to the patients' doorsteps.
Studies have shown hospital-at-home programs improve patient satisfaction and benefit health outcomes. Known benefits are reduced mortality, faster recovery and fewer readmissions to the hospital, among others.
Over the past several years, the demand for health care solutions that allow patients to receive care in their homes has increased. VCU Health has been a leader in the commonwealth in response to this need. In addition to Hospital at Home, VCU Health patients currently benefit from multiple VCU Health at Home options, including home-based primary care, primary and specialty telehealth appointments, remote patient monitoring as well as skilled home health and hospice care.
Patients and their families interested in learning more about the program should speak with their care team. For more information about Home Hospital, visit https://www.vcuhealth.
