The health system implemented Hospital Care At Home in Florida in 2023, reducing hospital readmissions.
Cleveland Clinic is expanding its Hospital Care At Home program to Northeast Ohio, beginning on Cleveland’s west side.
The program allows patients to receive acute care at home that is comparable to what is provided in an inpatient hospital setting.
Patients must live within a 25-mile radius of Cleveland Clinic Fairview or Avon hospitals and qualify to be hospitalized at home, the health system said. This is based on a medical evaluation in either the emergency department or within an inpatient unit.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, sepsis, cellulitis, pneumonia, asthma and select post-operative colorectal procedures are among the conditions that providers with Hospital Care At Home can treat.
Cleveland Clinic implemented Hospital Care At Home at its Florida locations in 2023. More than 4,000 patients have used the service to recover at home.
The program has been found to reduce hospital readmissions.
“Giving patients the option to recover in the setting that best meets their individual needs is essential,” said Neil P. Smith, president of Cleveland Clinic’s West Submarket. “Expanding Hospital Care At Home to Ohio underscores our commitment to patient‑centered care and innovation, and we’re pleased to offer Avon and Fairview hospital patients the opportunity to receive hospital‑level care in the comfort of their own home.”
Acute hospital care at home was made possible under flexibilities allowed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hospitals found the program successful. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has extended virtual care flexibilities, but hospitals again face another deadline – this time in 2027 – without congressional action.
Patients are set up at home with a tablet for virtual video visits, a direct-connect phone number to the care team, a personal emergency response bracelet, devices to measure vital signs, and a backup power supply so they can be monitored and connected with the Clinically Integrated Virtual Command Center (CIViC).
The CIViC was developed for Hospital Care At Home in Florida and is being expanded to support the program in Ohio. The virtual team is comprised of physicians, advanced practice providers, pharmacists, coordinators and nurses.
The care plan also includes in-person care delivered by healthcare providers who regularly visit the patient’s home.
“Hospital Care At Home is part of our ongoing commitment to evolving the way we deliver care. We recognize that for many patients, healing at home can support their recovery journey,” said Dr. Jorge A. Guzman, executive vice president and president of Cleveland Clinic’s Northeast Ohio Market. “We are proud to bring this innovative care model to Ohio and offer patients another option for high‑quality care.”