Charlottesville, Va.-based UVA Health is connecting patients who regularly visit emergency rooms for non-emergency care of chronic conditions to a program designed to make care more accessible, while keeping critical ER beds free and lowering capacity.
There are typically 20-25 patients enrolled in the program at one time who are referred to it by ED staff, according to a Jan. 22 news release. Once referred, UVA Health's community paramedics — a team of three — review the patient's medical records and then conduct a home visit to get to the root of what could be causing routine emergency department visits. They then work with the patient to connect them with specialists and primary care providers to address other issues like transportation and food access.
Patients with conditions like diabetes are also connected with UVA's Interactive Home Monitoring program and given a table to help digitally track their blood sugar levels and monitor other vital statistics. They can also use them for telehealth appointments.
In the last year, the program has prevented 50 trips to the emergency department.