Boston-based Mass General Brigham is restructuring its Home Hospital program beginning in November, shifting its focus toward higher-acuity patients at its two academic medical centers as the health system looks to address emergency department overcrowding and improve the program’s long-term sustainability.
A Mass General Brigham spokesperson confirmed the changes in an Oct. 27 statement shared with Becker’s.
Under the redesigned model, Home Hospital will focus on patients who require hospital admission from the emergency departments at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, both in Boston.
“Over time, much of the Home Hospital’s growth occurred at our community hospitals, moving patients with lower-acuity needs from one lower-acuity setting to another while our academic medical centers continue to face extreme emergency department crowding and demand for inpatient care that far exceeds capacity,” the spokesperson said.
Mass General Brigham launched its Home Hospital program in 2017, allowing eligible patients to receive hospital-level care in their homes rather than in traditional inpatient settings.
The health system said the restructuring is intended to better align the program with its most pressing capacity needs while preserving hospital-at-home care as a long-term service.
“Our goal is a more focused, sustainable service that prioritizes higher-acuity patients and continues to serve patients for years to come,” the spokesperson said.
The redesign also includes changes to care delivery models and supervisory and administrative roles. Home Hospital leadership is working to improve operational efficiency, including making fuller use of available clinical capacity and improving length of stay.
Mass General Brigham did not specify in its statement whether the changes would involve staffing reductions or how many patients the redesigned program would accommodate.
The spokesperson emphasized that the health system remains committed to the hospital-at-home model, citing its clinical outcomes, lower readmission rates and patient experience.
“This focus will allow us to more effectively serve those patients, help relieve crowding in our emergency departments and support the program’s long-term sustainability,” the spokesperson said.
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