What You Should Know:
– CVS Health announced it is working with hospitals and providers, including major systems like UCLA Health, to support their solutions for creating much-needed hospital bed capacity during the pandemic.
– Hospitals around the country are expanding their capacity to meet the anticipated needs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
– Current estimates project that hospitals nationwide need to increase capacity by more than 36,000 hospital beds.
– In addition, CMS recently issued temporary regulatory changes that enable faster patient discharge and home-based care to help bolster hospital capacity for COVID-19.
CVS Health, today announced it is working with hospitals and providers, including UCLA Health, to support solutions for creating much-needed hospital bed capacity during the pandemic. Coram, the company’s infusion care business has enhanced its existing home infusion capacity and capabilities to help transition eligible IV-therapy patients to home-based care. This includes enhanced clinical monitoring, virtual support and oversight through telehealth to complement existing personalized in-home support, coordination and administration of medications and supplies. In California, the state is working to add 50,000 hospital beds to make enough room for anticipated COVID-19 patients.
Why It Matters
Hospitals around the country are expanding their capacity to meet the anticipated needs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Current estimates project that hospitals nationwide need to increase capacity by more than 36,000 hospital beds. In addition, CMS recently issued temporary regulatory changes that enable faster patient discharge and home-based care to help bolster hospital capacity for COVID-19.
Coram, the company’s infusion care business is:
Enabling care for patients with high acuity needs that may require additional clinical oversight, monitoring, and in-person care, by working with home health care agency partners as needed. Working with insurers to help streamline access to this type of care during the pandemic by escalating the prior authorization process and other requirements that may inhibit same-day hospital discharge.
Collaboration Details with UCLA Health
Coram is working with UCLA Health to identify and begin transitioning stable patients to home-based nursing care. Patients with a range of conditions that may require infusion therapy, including hydration and nutritional support, anti-infectives and/or specialty medications for chronic condition management, will be considered. Once home, Coram’s specialized nurses will provide and coordinate a range of care, including daily visits and monitoring, medication administration, IV catheter line care, lab draws and educational support via telehealth. Coram is scaling this approach nationwide in other markets with high rates of COVID-19 cases and working with home health agencies to enable care for patients with high acuity needs that may require additional clinical oversight and monitoring.
“We’re able to create a clinically appropriate and safe in-home care setting, so hospitals can focus on treating those impacted by COVID-19,” said Sree Chaguturu, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of CVS Caremark and CVS Specialty. “Amid this unprecedented public health challenge, home can be the safest place for patients recovering from a range of illnesses and can also help minimize their risk of contracting COVID-19.”
