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Question: Many families have asked about at-home hospital services for their young children. We have several patients with chronic conditions that feel better and more at ease receiving care in their homes. Are there services, beyond traditional telemedicine, which provide the care these families are seeking?

Virginia Subscriber

Answer: Several organizations offer care in the home, and here鈥檚 one example that comes to mind: Atrium Health Levine Children鈥檚 Hospital recently launched their Hospital at Home program. Located in Charlotte, North Carolina, Atrium Health鈥檚 Hospital at Home program provides in-home hospital-level pediatric care with in-person visits, 24/7 patient monitoring, and a video connection to healthcare providers.

Atrium Health has offered the program since 2020, but only for adults. Now, children of all ages, including newborn infants, can receive 鈥渟afe, high-quality hospital level care from the comfort of home,鈥� according to the hospital鈥檚 website.

Patients located in North Carolina within 30 minutes of Levine Children鈥檚 Hospital are eligible for the service, after the care team at the hospital assesses the patient鈥檚 conditions and treatment needs. The program is intended for pediatric patients who need short-term hospital care for less emergent conditions, such as:

• Jaundice in newborns
• Stomach bug
• Moderate respiratory infections
• Post-surgical recovery
• Conditions requiring infusion therapy
• Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
• Monitoring after an illness

The Hospital at Home care team consists of a pediatric nurse, pediatric hospitalist, social worker, paramedic team (for in-person visits), and a navigator. Other health professionals are available as well to deliver the care the patient needs.

Mike Shaughnessy, BA, CPC, Development Editor, AAPC