MyMichigan Health Expanding “Hospital at Home” Program

MyMichigan Health in Midland is one of 84 health systems nationwide and one of four in Michigan offering a Hospital at Home (HaH) program. It allows inpatient level care in your own home, including remote patient monitoring, collaboration with a patient’s primary care provider and virtual visits.

Pankaj Jandwani, M.D., M.M.M., regional vice president of medical affairs and chief innovation officer, has been working with his Innovation Team on the HaH program. “We want to offer care in the home that is above and beyond what traditional home health services are able to,” said Dr. Jandwani. “Our purpose it to create healthy communities – together, and this program certainly helps us live that purpose.”

MyMichigan started a pilot program in February of last year to care for COVID-19 patients in Alma and Midland. So far, 39 COVID-19 patients have successfully completed the Hospital at Home COVID Completion program, with zero adverse events. In May 2021, the pilot expanded to include COPD, pneumonia, and sepsis patients, with 27 additional patients taking part.

MyMichigan is now expanding the program, saying strong evidence indicates higher-quality outcomes with Hospital at Home, at a lower cost for patients compared to those with similar conditions admitted to acute care facilities. Other benefits include receiving care in familiar surroundings, removing traveling costs and eliminating transportation barriers. For hospitals, the program helps to reduce lengths of stay, lowers rates of readmission and admission costs, and reduces the need for hospital beds when they’re busy.

“Our providers and clinicians are excited and engaged in helping us refine the clinical pathways in this innovative model of care delivery,” added Dr. Jandwani. “We look to further expand the program to include heart failure patients as well as extending coverage to all regions of MyMichigan’s service area.”

MyMichigan’s HaH program has already exceeded its initial goal to care for more than 50 patients by June 30, 2022.