PHOENIX ― Mayo Clinic has expanded its innovative advanced care at home model of care, which provides comprehensive care to patients in the comfort of their own homes, to Mayo Clinic in Arizona. Beginning this week, many patients in the Phoenix and Scottsdale area who otherwise would need to be hospitalized will be able to receive in-person and virtual care through Mayo Clinic's advanced care at home platform.

Under 24/7 direction of Mayo Clinic physicians, advanced care at home provides services such as skilled nursing, medications and infusions, as well as laboratory, imaging and rehabilitation services from nurses, paramedics and support team members. The model of care, launched by Mayo Clinic Platform and operated by Mayo Clinic's Center for Digital Health, provides a secure and seamless experience at home, combining technology and clinical expertise to ensure that the needs of the patient come first.

Mayo Clinic introduced advanced care at home in the Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and Jacksonville, Florida, areas in July 2020. "Mayo Clinic's advanced care at home model has shown its value and has been well-received by patients in Wisconsin and Florida," says Chad Nelson, M.D., chair of the Division of Hospital Internal Medicine in Arizona. "Whether the patient is receiving care at Mayo Clinic Hospital or at home with our advanced care at home model, we deliver patient-centered care that meets each person's unique needs." Dr. Nelson is medical director for advanced care at home in Arizona.

Journalists: Broadcast-quality sound bites with Dr. Nelson are available in the downloads at the end of the post. Please courtesy: "Chad Nelson, M.D. / Hospital Internal Medicine/ Mayo Clinic."

Mayo Clinic is partnering with Medically Home, a Boston-based technology-enabled services company, to offer advanced care at home in Arizona, as it has in Florida and Wisconsin. In May, Mayo Clinic and Kaiser Permanente announced strategic investments in Medically Home Group to expand access to this unique model of care and encourage providers to adopt it.

"Providing medical care at home is not a new thing – 150 years ago, Dr. William W. Mayo was making house calls and providing at-home care, for example – but with advanced technology and the ability to create a virtual hospital at home, with around-the-clock supervision, we can provide individualized care for our patients in the comfort of their homes," says Michael Maniaci, M.D., chair of the Division of Hospital Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Florida. "We're pleased to offer the convenience and Mayo Clinic expertise available through advanced care at home to patients in the Phoenix area." Dr. Maniaci is the enterprise physician leader for advanced care at home at Mayo Clinic.

Medically Home enables health care providers to offer high-acuity care that is typically provided in traditional hospital settings safely in a patient's home. Its integrated technology platform and network of in-home services allow care to be directed around the clock by Mayo Clinic physicians and providers, with real-time remote clinical monitoring and video access for patients and their care teams.

Another factor in the growth of Mayo Clinic's advanced care at home model has been greater regulatory flexibility accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In May, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill passed by the Arizona Legislature to expand telehealth coverage. The legislation established a pilot program administered by the Arizona Department of Health Services to allow health systems to provide hospital at-home services, such as Mayo Clinic's advanced care at home model of care.

Advanced care at home provides a network of 18 rapid-response support services, a clinical command center and a care response team to provide seamless hospital-level care at home.

"We are delighted to partner with Mayo Clinic to enable the expansion of this important capability as they continue to be a leader in the decentralization of high-acuity care for serious or complex patients across the country," says Rami Karjian, CEO of Medically Home. "We are excited that Mayo Clinic patients in Arizona now will be able to experience the improvement in satisfaction and outcomes that comes with this expansion. We applaud the Arizona governor, legislature, and Department of Health Services for not only supporting this important program during the COVID-19 pandemic, but also ensuring it will be available to Arizonans for many years past the pandemic."

###

About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news. For information on COVID-19, including Mayo Clinic's Coronavirus Map tracking tool, which has 14-day forecasting on COVID-19 trends, visit the Mayo Clinic COVID-19 Resource Center.

About Medically Home
Medically Home is a technology-enabled services company that provides the clinical intellectual property, technology platform and coordination of acute rapid-response services that allow medical providers to safely shift advanced medical care from hospitals to patients' homes. By enabling its customer partners to create superior experiences and outcomes for patients, their families and health care stakeholders, Medically Home is leading the charge in the innovation of health care delivery. For more information, visit the Medically Home website.

Media contact:

• Jim McVeigh, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, newsbureau@mayo.edu

Related Articles