Home Hospital

What Is Mass General Home Hospital?

Home Hospital is based on patients' strong desire to maximize their time at home. When illness develops and is significant enough to require hospital-level care, we, along with other leaders in the field, have developed a way to care for patients in the home and avoid time in the hospital. Our patients report that they are very satisfied with their care.

You can think of this as hospital care within your home. It is not traditional home health care. Just like if you were staying in the hospital, you will have several visits with our clinicians each day to guide your care until you are safe enough to be discharged to your outpatient clinical team, similar to a regular hospital admission.

Home Hospital is different than typical home care or Visiting Nurses Association (VNA) services and truly is an alternative to inpatient admission for certain qualifying patients.

Mass General Home Hospital has been operational since April 2017. Since that time we have cared for more than 300 patients.

Services

In addition to care specific to your medical condition, Home Hospital can provide you with:

• Vital sign monitoring (heart rate, blood pressure)
• Lab testing
• Intravenous (IV) fluids and medications
• New medications
• Oxygen
• Continuous heart monitoring
• X-rays
• Ultrasounds

What to Expect

When admitted to Home Hospital, you will be sent from Mass General directly to your home and someone from the Home Hospital Care Team will meet you there. After you get settled at home, your care team will talk to you about when daily follow-up visits will occur. The team will do their best to accommodate your schedule, but the timing of the visits depends on the timing of your medication and your clinical needs.

How long you will be treated depends on your condition and care plan. For most patients, it is usually three to five days.

When you are ready to be “discharged” from Home Hospital, your Home Hospital care team will evaluate whether you will need ongoing nurse visits, physical therapy or other services.

My Care Team

Your Home Hospital care team remains in close contact about your plan of care throughout your Home Hospital stay. Your primary care provider or Mass General specialist will also be in communication with the Home Hospital team regarding your care and your progress.

• Your doctor: A Mass General doctor (MD) will oversee your care and make at least one home visit during your Home Hospital stay
• Your physician assistant or nurse practitioner: A Mass General physician assistant (PA) or nurse practitioner (NP) will visit you daily in your home and is available by phone 24 hours a day
• Your nurse: A Partners Healthcare at Home registered nurse (RN) will visit you in your home twice per day

Although the members of your team will change throughout your stay, your health and comfort is our primary concern. We look forward to caring for you!

Cost

Mass General currently bills your insurance as appropriate. You will not receive a bill for services not covered by your insurance.

Meet the Team

Our Physicians

Our Advanced Practice Providers

• Ryan Coulson, PA
• Helen Le, PA
• Cristina Portugal, NP

Our Nurses

• Amy Costa, RN, BSN
• Jodi Fitzpatrick, RN, BSN
• Nahall Rad, RN, BSN

For Clinicians

If you are a Mass General clinician and you would like to refer a patient to Home Hospital, please page the Alternative Pathways Navigator at 29694. Admissions are accepted seven days a week.