Hospital at Home
Need hospital-level care but prefer your own bed? Atrium Health’s Hospital at Home program makes that possible. Since 2020, our Hospital at Home team has delivered acute care for sudden or serious health needs right at home, so you can heal in a familiar space.
What is acute care at home?
Anchored by the research and innovation at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Hospital at Home is a way you can get care for certain health conditions when it’s safe and appropriate. Instead of staying in a hospital room, our Hospital at Home team brings acute care, monitoring and support to you at your home.
If you qualify, your provider will talk with you about whether Hospital at Home is right for your condition. Once enrolled, our care team designs a personalized treatment plan that includes:
- Daily in-home visits from our specially trained paramedic team
- Video visits using telehealth technology or in-person check-ins with your care team
- Lab tests, imaging and IV medications provided at home
- 24/7 remote monitoring and support if your needs change
We also offer pediatric Hospital at Home services for children of all ages – the only program of its kind in the nation. Learn more about Atrium Health Levine Children’s Hospital at Home.
Benefits of Hospital at Home
At Atrium Health, your health is our top priority. Our goal is to make sure you're in the best place for care. And sometimes, the best place is home.
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Hospital-level care that comes to you
With Atrium Health Hospital at Home, your care is the same as in the hospital. This includes access to all Atrium Health services and our multidisciplinary teams, so you can reduce your hospital stay – or skip it altogether. Our Hospital at Home program also supports a faster recovery at home while reducing your risk of infections and falls.
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Recover comfortably with less stress
The hospital can be a noisy, distracting place for some. Add frequent – but necessary – interruptions for care, and rest can be difficult. Being at home allows for a more relaxed healing experience. We also try to bundle all your visits as much as possible, allowing you to have longer periods of quiet, uninterrupted recovery.
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Innovative care you can trust
Advocate Health, which includes Atrium Health Care, is the largest Hospital at Home provider in the nation. As a leader in innovative home care, you can be confident you’re in good hands while you heal in the comfort and convenience of your home using technology-enabled monitoring and coordination.
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Seamless continued care
When you’re discharged from Hospital at Home, your provider may discuss transferring your in-home care to our Continued Health services, which includes Advanced Care at Home or Palliative Care at Home. This continuation of care allows you to receive expert support, where you’re most comfortable.
How Hospital at Home works
When you arrive at a participating Hospital at Home location, a team is in place to decide where you can get the best, safest care. Sometimes, this is the hospital, but for patients who only need monitoring, medication or other similar services, Hospital at Home might be an option.
Who’s eligible?
Atrium Health’s Hospital at Home is currently available for patients who live in North Carolina and are within range of a Hospital at Home location.
Currently we offer Hospital at Home at the below locations:
What to expect if you qualify for Hospital at Home
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Admission to Hospital at Home
During admission, you’ll meet with a trained navigator. They’ll help you understand the program, complete a few screenings and answer any questions you may have.
When you’re ready, we’ll transport you home safely. Members of our team will set up the simple technology needed for your 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 care. Your safety is our top priority, which is why all technology is controlled by you and includes special features to protect your health information.
If you have a caregiver at home with you, our Hospital at Home team will also take the time to help educate and support them so they can support you with confidence.
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Virtual and in-person care at home
Our team will organize all your care, including your daily care plan, medications, appointments and referrals to subspecialists if needed.
In addition to video visits using telehealth technology with providers and nurses, you'll receive in-person visits from certified paramedics. They’ll come to your home twice daily to give you your medications and check your 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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Discharge and continued support
Once you feel better and are discharged from our care, we’ll follow up with your provider and stay in close touch. We’ll remain available to coordinate additional appointments or care as needed, including finding a dedicated provider for your continued care.
If needed and if you qualify, we can admit you to our Continued Health program for advanced or palliative care in your home. Your provider will discuss the next steps and goals for your care with you before you’re discharged.
Hospital at Home services
- Hospital-level care for people age 18 and older
- 24-hour monitoring of your heart rate, respiratory rate and oxygen levels
- A 24-hour comprehensive care team, including an on-call doctor and virtual nurse who treat and monitor you remotely using telehealth
- In-person visits from a paramedic team, who can place IVs, take vitals and listen to your 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 room in the hospital
- Easy, immediate connection to emergency care and emergency services if needed
- Access to translation services
What conditions are treated with Hospital at Home?
- Asthma
- Chronic heart failure
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Conditions requiring infusion therapy
- Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
- Diabetes
- Hypertension
- Hyperlipidemia
- Gastroenteritis (stomach flu)
- Moderate respiratory infections, including COVID-19
- Monitoring after an illness
- Pulmonary embolism
- Recovery from surgery
- Urinary tract infections (UTI)
What is a Hospital at Home comprehensive care team?
Your Hospital at Home care team will include:
- Navigator: Your navigator has extensive experience and training in both bedside nursing and Hospital at Home. They help coordinate your care every step of the way.
- Hospitalist: A hospitalist is a doctor who cares for patients receiving hospital-level care. They’ll help coordinate all of your needs virtually, from care management to discharge planning, and stay in close contact with your care team.
- Paramedic team: While most of your care is done virtually, you'll receive in-person visits from a certified paramedic team. This team checks vitals, delivers medical equipment and inserts IVs if needed, and works closely with your entire care team.
- Virtual Nurse: In addition to a hospitalist, you'll have a virtual nurse available 24/7. They’ll monitor your vitals remotely and stand ready to address any concerns that come up.
- Social worker: A social worker supports you and your family and guides you to any patient support resources you may need.
As a Hospital at Home patient, you’ll also have seamless access to Atrium Health’s extensive network of specialists and integrated services, including:
- Dietitians
- Pharmacists
- Rehabilitation and therapy
Hospital at Home is available with a provider referral for short-term hospital care when it’s safe and appropriate. Eligibility criteria includes:
- You must be medically stable and able to remain safely at home.
- You’re capable of understanding and consenting to a Hospital at Home care plan.
- You have an available emergency contact and a working phone.
- You must live in North Carolina and be within range of a Hospital at Home location.
- Your provider and care team will talk with you about whether you qualify and if Hospital at Home is right for you.
Our Hospital at Home program is offered to eligible patients at the following locations:
- Atrium Health Cabarrus
- Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center
- Atrium Health Mercy
- Atrium Health Pineville
- Atrium Health University City
We look forward to growing this program and expanding it to patients in every region we serve in the future.
Our Atrium Health at Home team provides in-home care that ranges from home infusion services and respiratory coordination to hospice care. Hospital at Home, on the other hand, extends the care you’d receive during your hospital stay to your home, so you can recover more comfortably and be discharged from the hospital faster.
If you need continued care at home after your Hospital at Home care ends, your care team will work with your provider to connect you to our Atrium Health at Home team.
Your insurance plan may cover Hospital at Home services if you meet the program requirements. Check with your health plan to confirm coverage and any out-of-pocket costs.
Talk to your provider or care team if you’d like to learn more about Hospital at Home.