Vanderbilt’s Hospital at Home program helps free up hospital beds
Program allows patients who qualify to recover at home and receive the same treatment they would have received at the hospital.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - The option to continue hospital care inside of your home is available for eligible Vanderbilt University Medical Center patients.
Andrew Midgett is a bone cancer patient at Vanderbilt. Recently, he spent 14 days in the hospital. He became eligible to continue his care through their Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s “Hospital at Home” program.
“They approached me at the hospital. The nurses did about two days before Thanksgiving and said I was a very good candidate and the day before Thanksgiving I was able to come home and be with my family even though I’m still under hospital care,” said Midgett.
He can now continue recovering from the comfort of his home through Vanderbilt’s Hospital at Home initiative.
“It’s quiet, it’s peaceful, there’s no people running down the hall and machines going all night long. It’s just your home. It’s no place like home, even in your bed you’re relaxed in your own surroundings,” said Midgett.
Being in the comfort of his home is a change of scenery from what’s in the hospital enabling him to recover in a place where he’s comfortable. Hospital at Home is hospital level-care in the patient’s home, generally for stable patients who can still receive treatment and watch through in-home visits from medical providers at least three times a day.
“We send in an advanced practice practitioner to the home once a day to advance the patient’s level of care and then we have a doctor in the hospital who is keeping track of what’s going on with the patient and modifying the care as needed on a daily basis,” said Ryan Starnes with Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
It’s a way Vanderbilt can add more bed space to those who really need it.
In the last seven days, Vanderbilt has seen 100 flu patients.
“It really a great way for us to help the patient recover more comfortably and effectively while opening up space in the hospital for the patients who really need it,” said Starnes.
Checking vital signs, monitoring blood pressure, heart rate, and blood oxygen saturation all happens in your home. There’s also 24/7 seven on-demand access to a nurse. Patients must live within a 30-mile radius of Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Some of the services include remote patient monitoring, mobile X-ray, ECG services, Oxygen, in addition to providing medication and supplies.
“They’ll call and tell you it’s time for your blood pressure and it communicates through the iPad,” said Midgett.
One of the many perks of recovering at home for Midgett is being closer to family and friends.
“Friends and family, church people, they can come visit me at home versus going all the way down to Nashville fighting traffic and trying to find a parking place just come here and visit with me which is wonderful,” said Midgett.
The program serves patients in Davidson, Cheatham, Rutherford, Sumner, Wilson, and Williamson counties. The program is only for adult patients.
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