Patients recovering from a wide range of medical conditions can now elect Home Recovery Care over inpatient stays through two more Allegheny Health Network hospitals

PITTSBURGH, Aug. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Allegheny Health Network (AHN) announced today that two more of its hospitals in western Pennsylvania are now offering Home Recovery Care to patients who are recovering from a wide range of acute medical conditions following an emergency-room visit.

AHN Forbes Hospital in Monroeville and AHN Jefferson Hospital in Jefferson Hills are now offering patients who meet appropriate criteria the option of receiving medically necessary care in the comfort and convenience of their homes for common conditions including asthma, cellulitis, congestive heart failure, COPD, dehydration, pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and some cases of COVID-19, as eligible. In November of 2019, AHN's Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh was the first hospital in Pennsylvania to offer patients the Home Recovery Care program.

"Home Recovery Care is an important, safe and valuable new option for patients, including some who are recovering from COVID-19," explained Monique Reese, DNP, ARNP, FNP and ACHPN, Highmark Health, senior vice president of home and community care. "Advances in medicine, technology and care management now make this proven way of delivering care available through a growing number of AHN hospitals in regions across western Pennsylvania, including at AHN Forbes, AHN Jefferson and AHN Allegheny General Hospital."

Currently covered by select Highmark Inc. commercial and Medicare Advantage health insurances in western Pennsylvania, the Home Recovery Care program will be scaled to Highmark's Delaware and West Virginia markets in 2021.

"Healing at home through Home Recovery Care offers patients many benefits," said Harshit Seth, MD, system medical director, Hospitalists Services at AHN and medical director, AHN Home Recovery Care. "Patients often feel more secure and comfortable in their home environments. Through Home Recovery Care, they can receive a full complement of inpatient hospital services, including our outstanding physician-led care, a registered nurse who's a dedicated care coordinator, in-home nursing visits, telehealth visits, infusion, and home medical equipment. For most, it's a remarkably positive experience, and it's proven to reduce patient readmissions and total cost of care."

Highmark Health championed the program at AHN through a joint-venture partnership with Contessa, the leading operator of Home Recovery Care, who mastered the innovative model by coupling evidenced-based protocols and best practices with a proprietary technology platform.

"Contessa's data demonstrates the Home Recovery care model dramatically improves patient satisfaction, and reduces both mean length of stay and readmission rates," said Travis Messina, Contessa's chief executive officer. "We are thrilled to bring this level of care to AHN Forbes and Jefferson and allow patients to recover in an environment that is best suited for their needs, which is often the home."

Patients who are interested in Home Recovery Care are assessed by an emergency department physician and hospitalist following a visit to the emergency room. Both providers work together with a recovery care coordinator to evaluate the patient based on specific criteria. As an alternative to being admitted to the hospital, the patient is assisted back to his or her home and begins receiving care immediately, followed by the 30-day Home Recovery Care program.

"Home health care traditionally is a stepped-down type of care following hospitalization," said Ezz-Eldin Moukamal, MD, chief medical officer, AHN Forbes Hospital. "Through innovative Home Recovery Care at AHN, patients with various complex conditions can avoid hospitalizations altogether. Following an ER visit, they can receive what are typically considered as hospital services, like oxygen therapy, intravenous antibiotics, wound care, and nursing care right at home--with family support, pets and other comforts nearby, improving their recovery time and their opportunity to return to better health."

For more information about AHN Home Recovery Care, visit https://www.ahn.org/services/home-recovery-care or call 412.860.0685.

About Allegheny Health Network
Allegheny Health Network (AHN.org), is an integrated health care delivery system serving the greater Western Pennsylvania region. The network is composed of 12 hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, Health + Wellness Pavilions, an employed physician organization, home- and community-based health services, a research institute, and a group purchasing organization. AHN provides patients with access to a complete spectrum of advanced medical services, including nationally recognized programs for primary and emergency care, cardiovascular disease, cancer care, orthopedic surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, women's health, diabetes and more. AHN employs approximately 21,000 people, has more than 2,500 physicians on its medical staff, and serves as a clinical campus for Drexel University College of Medicine, Temple University School of Medicine, and the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.

About Contessa
Based in Nashville, Contessa is the leader and pioneer of Home Recovery Care, a risk-based model that combines all the essential elements of inpatient hospital care in the comfort of patients' homes. Founded in 2015, Contessa utilizes Care Convergence – a proprietary technology platform – to power the seamless delivery of Home Recovery Care that is safe, affordable and improves patient outcomes. Contessa's turnkey solution provides upfront savings to health plans, enables health systems to reinvent their care delivery model and helps physicians deliver a better experience for patients.

SOURCE Allegheny Health Network

Related Links

http://www.ahn.org