Marshfield Clinic Health System is partnering with DispatchHealth to bring its rural patients in-home medical care.

WHY IT MATTERS
Marshfield serves a population in Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula with more than 60 Marshfield Clinic locations and 11 hospitals. With this new collaboration, it will expand access to its patients in rural communities in their homes.

The goal is to reduce non-emergency visits to the emergency department while lowering costs and improving outcomes. DispatchHealth's platform coordinates medical care for injuries and illnesses including viral infections, COPD exacerbations, congestive heart failure and more.

Patients can request care through DispatchHealth.com, without a referral. Once requested, an emergency-care-trained medical team arrives at the patient's home equipped with tools and treatments, including on-site diagnostics and a CLIA-certified lab which provides immediate results for certain diagnostics, such as kidney function, electrolytes, urinalysis and more.

DispatchHealth also offers more complex, home-based medical care, including mobile imaging.

THE LARGER TREND
Health systems are embracing the hospital-at-home model for the cost-efficiencies it enables and the patient experience it can provide.

Here's how healthcare organizations can set themselves up for success with the new modality of care.

ON THE RECORD
"The face of health care is evolving faster than ever, and we are evolving along with it," Marshfield Clinic Health System CEO Dr. Susan Turney said in a statement. "This partnership and the value it brings to our patients aligns with our commitment to bring high-quality health care services close to, and in this case inside, the homes of our patients. It is a win for our organization and for those we serve."

"We are excited to expand our footprint to Wisconsin and empower Marshfield Clinic to go beyond traditional care settings to meet patients where they are," added Dr. Mark Prather, CEO of DispatchHealth. "With a shared commitment to value-based care, our partnership brings these new communities DispatchHealth's proven approach to in-home, high-acuity care."

Twitter: @MikeMiliardHITN
Email the writer: mike.miliard@himssmedia.com
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