Black River Memorial Hospital Will Redesign Their Home Health Programs

Thursday, April 20th, 2023 -- 11:00 AM

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, and more.

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