Jan. 7, 2020
MARSHFIELD – Marshfield Clinic Health System is the first health system in Wisconsin, and one of the first in the nation, approved to provide Home Recovery Care (HRC) to Medicare fee-for-service patients.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, approved the service at Marshfield Medical Center hospitals in Marshfield, Eau Claire and Minocqua.
Marshfield Clinic Health System, with the help of our partners at Contessa, has successfully provided acute hospital care in the home for many years. Thanks to CMS, we are now able to provide this level of care to Medicare fee-for-service patients. In a time when the COVID-19 pandemic is overburdening the healthcare industry, it is more important than ever to treat patients in a setting that best fits their needs – the home.
"Home Recovery Care gives us the ability to provide hospital-level care in a patients home, which is becoming a vital resource in freeing up beds for the sickest patients during COVID-19 surges," said Dr. Susan Turney, Marshfield Clinic Health System CEO. "CMS is offering a much-needed relief valve. We could not be more grateful to CMS for giving us the opportunity to provide acute hospital care in the home to more patients in need."
Marshfield Clinic Health System and Contessa, the nation's leading operator of hospital-level care in the home, began offering Home Recovery Care services in Marshfield in 2016, Eau Claire in 2018, and in Minocqua and Weston this past November.
With Home Recovery Care, patients receive all the essential elements of inpatient treatment into the comfort and convenience of their homes. If eligible patients choose the program, they begin receiving hospital-level care in their home within hours.
Patients are sent home with remote patient monitoring devices including a blood pressure cuff, scale, pulse oximeter and thermometer. A recovery care coordinator serves as the patient's single point of contact and monitors the patient's vitals, answers questions and coordinates care team communication. Patients also receive in-home visits by an acute care registered nurse and have virtual visits with physicians using a state-of-the-art telehealth system.
Contessa is the nation's leading operator of Home Recovery Care, facilitating hospital-level care in the home by providing three key elements: the clinical model that enables safe delivery of hospital-level care in the home; the administrative capabilities to be reimbursed by health plans; and Care Convergence, a proprietary technology platform that supports the clinical and administrative functions.
"We applaud CMS for its decision to help healthcare providers more easily expand the delivery of hospital-level care beyond its traditional setting," said Travis Messina, Contessa CEO. "Our partnership with Marshfield Clinic Health System has a proven track record of positive outcomes, including patient opt-in and success. We are thrilled to provide this level of care to Medicare fee-for-service patients, especially as the pandemic continues to grip our industry."
In addition to Medicare fee-for-service, Home Recovery Care is currently covered by Security Health Plan and Anthem.
