Saint Luke’s Health System Announces Launch of Hospital In Your Home Program

Saint Luke’s Health System recently launched Hospital In Your Home, an innovative hybrid care model offering state-of-the-art virtual technology and in-person, hospital-level care to patients in the comfort of their own homes. This program, the first of its kind in the region, not only offers appropriate patients the opportunity to receive the care they need while remaining at home but also helps preserve hospital beds for patients who are the most critically ill.

Margo Banks was the first person to experience this new patient-centered approach to care.

When she arrived at the Saint Luke’s East Emergency Department with shortness of breath in mid-July, Margo was filled with dread. Her doctor had been urging her to go to the ED for over a week, but she had been delaying, hoping her symptoms would improve. Margo knew from past experience if she went to the hospital, she would be admitted. Diagnosed with congestive heart failure in 2020, Margo had been hospitalized six times in the past two years. The idea of another lengthy hospital stay was more than she could bear. When Dr. Michael Nassif approached her and shared with her that she met the criteria for “Hospital In Your Home,” an innovative new program being launched the same day which would allow her to receive the care she needed in the comfort of her home, she couldn’t believe it. One week later, Margo was on the road to recovery, having received the hospital-level care she needed at home instead of in a hospital bed.

Through the Hospital In Your Home program, patients who meet specific criteria will receive high-acuity care at home for a wide range of conditions that would traditionally require inpatient hospitalization, such as congestive heart failure, pneumonia, gastroenteritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

A 24/7 Medical Command Center—comprised of Saint Luke’s physicians, nurses, advanced practice providers (APPs), and technology support specialists—monitor patients in their homes, answer questions, provide virtual check-ups, and initiate any necessary emergency responses around the clock.

To bring this technology and care model to patients, Saint Luke’s is partnering with Medically Home, one of the nation’s most experienced virtual healthcare companies, having partnered with Mayo Clinic and Kaiser Permanente to successfully bring a similar care option to their patients.

“Saint Luke’s has a long-standing commitment to providing the Kansas City community with the best care close to home whenever possible,” said Melinda L. Estes, MD, Saint Luke’s Health System President and CEO. “With the innovative Hospital In Your Home care model, our commitment extends even further, ensuring we meet our patients’ specific care needs, while at the same time allowing them to have the benefit of seamlessly receiving that care in the comfort of their own home.”

Clinical studies have shown that programs like Hospital In Your Home deliver improved patient outcomes, lower mortality, lower risk for readmissions, cost savings, and higher patient and clinician satisfaction.

“Healthcare technology is advancing rapidly, bringing exciting new opportunities to improve care for our patients,” said Debe Gash, Saint Luke’s Health System Senior Vice President and Chief Digital Officer. “Hospital In Your Home allows us to bring an innovative care option to patients that would have been impossible to imagine only a few years ago. By leveraging the latest and most advanced digital tools and technologies, we are able to provide patients with real-time monitoring and immediate access to their highly skilled care team while remaining where they feel the most comfortable, in their own home.”

About Saint Luke’s Health System
Saint Luke’s is a faith-based, nonprofit, aligned health system committed to providing the highest levels of excellence in health care and health-related services. Saint Luke’s has more than 16 hospitals and campuses and more than 200 primary care and specialty offices treating patients in 65 specialty services across 67 counties in Missouri and Kansas. Saint Luke’s has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the elite hospitals in the nation. For 140 years, Saint Luke’s has been dedicated to enhancing the physical, mental, and spiritual health of the diverse communities we serve. Follow us: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn