The home health programs of Black River Memorial Hospital are undergoing a redesign. According to hospital administrators, the new Care at Home services will be part of the Black River Healthcare Clinic. Care at Home will include Chronic Care Management, In-Home Services, and Respiratory Durable Medical Equipment. Patients in need of end-of-life care will be simultaneously enrolled in all three programs.
Black River Memorial Hospital President and CEO, Carl Selvick, said the redesign stems from heightened industry hurdles such as increased regulations, rising costs and dwindling reimbursement rates. By redesigning home health services, Selvick says the organization can strategically and creatively integrate additional new program models to serve patients in a new way and also serve those who were otherwise ineligible for traditional home programs.
Care at Home will match all the core services of the previous home health program and allow the Black River Healthcare Clinic and Hospital to provide direct patient care, advanced care planning, and medical equipment, in-home and at the end of life. Slevick says all of the Care at Home services will be located at the hospital’s main campus beginning mid-April.
Full Press Release Below:
Black River Memorial Hospital (BRMH) will redesign their home health
programs into a new Care at Home service line within the Black River
Healthcare Clinic (BRHC). This redesign stems from heightened industry
hurdles such as increased regulations, rising costs and dwindling
reimbursement rates – especially for traditional home health programs. By
redesigning the home health services, strategically and creatively, BRMH will
be integrating new program models in healthcare to not only serve patients
in a new way but also serve those who otherwise did not qualify for
traditional home programs.
The new service line offered out of the BRHC will be centered around the
goal of providing patients the care they need to be successful and
comfortable at home as long as possible. This innovative model allows BRMH
to provide direct patient care, advanced care planning, and medical
equipment, in-home and at end of life, matching all the core services of the
previous home health program.
“By offering care in this way, we are able to deliver the same high-quality
care without the overhead burden of a traditional homecare/hospice
program,” stated Carl Selvick, President and CEO of Black River Memorial
Hospital. ”The redesign pulls all the best features from new and upcoming
program models while allowing for broader oversight of a patient’s
continuum of care, serving a patient population who would not have
otherwise qualified for services, improving local access, and ultimately
providing patients more one-on-one time with their care team.”
Julia Smith, Interim Director of Nursing Services shares, “In my opinion, one
of the biggest wins of the redesign is being able to serve patients beyond
even what a traditional hospice program can provide. For example, if a
patient wants to continue their chemotherapy treatment to extend and
improve their quality of life, they would not be able to on a traditional
hospice program due to insurance requirements. The beauty of our new Care
at Home program is our patients will not have to choose – and our staff are
there with them throughout the whole process.”
The new Care at Home program will include three initial offerings: Chronic
Care Management, In-Home Services, and Respiratory Durable Medical
Equipment (DME). Those needing end-of-life care will be simultaneously
enrolled in all three.
Chronic Care Management will include services such as new diagnosis
education, medication management, and care planning for patients with
chronic conditions. In-Home Services will include both visiting nurse and
visiting therapy services such as: wound care, lab draws, IV site care, along
with in-home physical, occupational, and speech therapy. Respiratory DME
services will be offered on the main campus, right inside of Entrance A. DME
items, such as CPAP machines and supplies, oxygen, nebulizers, and
mobility items, will be located in this space.
As more programs and models continue to evolve across the industry, BRMH
will be looking to continually expand and bundle these services to best serve
the needs of their patients and communities.
In order to achieve the goals of the redesign, all of the home services will be
located at the main campus beginning mid-April. New patients are
encouraged to talk to their primary care provider to determine if they would
benefit from these services. Current patients and family members are
encouraged to contact BRMH the same way they always have. Patients
without a primary care provider are encouraged to call 715-284-3355.
“Although this redesign may look and feel different operationally, the main
goal of the transition is to ensure patients, and their families, feel no
difference in the care they receive,” promised President and CEO, Carl
Selvick.
Please visit, brmh.net/news to learn more about the operational details and
specifics of BRMH’s home health redesign.
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