Pediatric Hospital at Home
When your child needs hospital care, you just want them to get better and come home. With Atrium Health Levine Children’s Hospital at Home, they can do both. This program combines video and in-person visits to bring hospital-level pediatric care to your house.
Atrium Health has been offering Hospital at Home care for adults since 2020. Modeled after that program’s experience and success, Atrium Health Levine Children’s Hospital at Home is the only program of its kind in the nation that’s dedicated to children.
With board-certified providers trained in pediatric hospital medicine and 24/7 monitoring, kids of all ages – including newborns – can receive safe, high-quality hospital-level care from the comfort of home.
Benefits
At Atrium Health Levine Children’s, our goal is always to make sure your child is in the best place for care. And sometimes, the best place is home.
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Hospital-level care, at home
The biggest benefit of Hospital at Home is that your child's care and attention are the same as in the hospital. This includes access to all Levine Children’s Hospital services and our virtual multidisciplinary team as well as follow-up appointments with other specialists if needed.
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Less stress, more comfort
The hospital can be a noisy, stressful place. Add frequent – but necessary – interruptions for care, and rest can be difficult. Being at home allows for a more relaxed healing experience for the whole family. We also try to bundle all your child’s visits as much as possible, allowing both of you to have longer periods of quiet, uninterrupted recovery.
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Saved hospital beds
By making it possible for some patients to receive care at home, we can keep hospital beds open for children with more emergent needs. This allows everyone to get the care they need as safely, efficiently and comfortably as possible.
How it works
When a child comes to Levine Children’s Hospital, a team is in place to decide where they can get the best, safest care. Sometimes, this is the hospital, but for kids who only need monitoring, medication or other similar services, Hospital at Home might be an option.
Who’s eligible? Atrium Health Levine Children’s Hospital at Home is currently available for patients who live in North Carolina and are within 30 minutes of Levine Children’s Hospital. We look forward to growing this program and expanding it to patients in every region we serve in the future.
Here’s what to expect if your child qualifies for Hospital at Home:
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Admission: Welcome to Hospital at Home!
During admission, you’ll meet with a trained navigator who has extensive training in bedside nursing and Hospital at Home. They’ll help you understand the program, complete a few screenings and answer any questions you may have.
Once you’re back home, your family will be met by members of our team. They’ll set up the simple technology needed for your child’s care and teach you how to use it. This includes a wireless monitor and a screen that shows important day-to-day details about your child’s care. Your family’s safety is our top priority, which is why all technology is controlled by you and includes special features to protect your child’s health information.
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Complete coordination: Virtual and in-person care
Our team will organize all of your child’s care, including their daily care plan, medications, appointments and referrals to subspecialists if needed.
In addition to video visits with pediatric doctors and nurses at Levine Children’s Hospital, your child will receive in-person visits from certified paramedics trained in pediatrics. They’ll come to your home at least twice daily to give your child medications and check their vital signs. For your safety and convenience, our paramedic team will always wear uniforms with badges and have set appointment times, so there are no surprise visits.
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Continued support: Here for you, always
Once your child feels better and is discharged from our care, we’ll follow up with their pediatrician and stay in close touch. We’ll remain available to coordinate additional appointments or care as needed.
Services
Though every child’s needs are different, our services include:
- Hospital-level care for children ages 0 to 17
- 24-hour monitoring of your child’s heart rate, respiratory rate and oxygen levels
- A 24-hour care team, including an on-call pediatric doctor and nurse from Levine Children’s Hospital, who treat and monitor your child virtually
- In-person visits from a paramedic team trained in pediatrics, who can place IVs, take vitals, and listen to your child’s heart and lungs
- Complete coordination of care, including daily care plans, appointments and referrals
- Food, supplies and other care necessities delivered to your home, just as they would be delivered to your child’s room in the hospital
- Easy, immediate connection to emergency care and emergency services if needed
- Access to translation services
Examples of conditions treated
Atrium Health Levine Children’s Hospital at Home is for children who need short-term hospital care for less emergent conditions. This includes monitoring and medication for various health needs. A few examples may include:
- Jaundice in newborns
- Gastroenteritis (stomach bug)
- Moderate respiratory infections, including COVID-19
- Urinary tract infections (UTI)
- Recovery from surgery
- Monitoring after illness
- Conditions requiring infusion therapy
Your child’s home team
Your child’s care team will include a:
- Navigator – This individual has extensive experience and training in both bedside nursing and Hospital at Home. They help coordinate your child’s care every step of the way.
- Pediatric hospitalist – A pediatric hospitalist is a doctor who cares only for children receiving hospital care. They’ll help manage all of your child’s needs virtually, from care coordination to discharge planning, and stay in close contact with your child’s pediatrician.
- Pediatric nurse – In addition to a pediatric hospitalist, your child will have a pediatric nurse from Levine Children’s Hospital available 24/7. They’ll monitor your child’s vitals virtually and stand ready to address any concerns.
- Social worker – A social worker will be available to support your family and guide you to any additional resources you may need.
- Paramedic team – While most of your child’s care is done virtually, they’ll receive in-person visits from a certified paramedic team with special training in pediatrics. This team checks your child’s vitals, inserts IVs if needed and works closely with your child’s other providers.
- Pharmacists
- Child life specialists
- Speech therapists
- Physical therapists
- Dietitians
As a Levine Children’s Hospital patient, your child will also have seamless access to pediatric specialists, as well as:
Contact us
If you’re a parent, guardian or physician, email for more information about Atrium Health Levine Children’s Hospital at Home. A member of our team will be happy to help.