UPMC has launched a new home care program, UPMC Your Care, designed to fill the gaps between traditional care settings and home.
“Sometimes our biggest opportunity isn’t inside the hospital or the physician’s office; it’s closing the space between transitions of care,” Jennifer Vennare, DNP, RN, vice president of population health and president of UPMC at Home Services, said in an upcoming episode of Becker’s “Clinical Leadership Podcast.”
Dr. Vennare described the program’s approach as “thinking upstream and being proactive as opposed to reactive,” which she said “helps prevent avoidable suffering” and lowers healthcare costs.
UPMC Your Care integrates the system and health plan, and pairs eligible Medicare Advantage members with complex chronic health conditions with a dedicated care manager who coordinates their medical, behavioral health and social needs directly in the home. This creates a single point of entry for care, so patients do not have to navigate the healthcare system on their own.
“It creates value for both the individual patient and the health system overall,” Dr. Vennare said. “The overlap happens when we’re able to prevent problems before they escalate. People benefit because they receive a more coordinated, personalized approach to care. The health system benefits for multiple reasons: fewer avoidable emergency department visits, fewer preventable hospital admissions and, of course, lower unnecessary utilization. The goal isn’t necessarily broader care, but more connected care.”
UPMC’s investment comes as several health systems have closed, suspended or reduced services across the broader home-based care landscape in 2026. These steps away from home care highlight the different financial, regulatory and operational considerations health systems face as they expand, maintain or scale back care delivered in the home.
For health systems weighing whether to launch, grow or pull back on care at home, Dr. Vennare advised against treating it as a standalone program.
“It’s part of a connected continuum of care,” she said. “You have to focus on the gaps between settings, because that’s where your biggest opportunities for improvement exist. Then design care around what a person would actually need when they return home to their living room, not just what they need when they’re in our brick-and-mortar hospital setting. I would build models that connect primary care, specialty care, behavioral health and community resources. […] And never forget that personalization matters. The right care plan for one person looks very different from the care plan for the next person. The organizations that succeed will be those that create seamless experiences across the entire care journey with a focus on the patient.”
