BayCare Virtual Hospital Brings Care to Patients in Their Homes, Welcomes First Patient

BayCare has launched a new way to deliver care to patients in their homes: BayCare Virtual Hospital. This pilot program, led by St. Joseph’s Hospital-South and BayCare Ambulatory Services, allows patients meeting certain criteria to receive BayCare’s exceptional care in the comfort of their own homes, while maintaining inpatient status. 

BayCare Virtual Hospital was a perfect fit for Rita Thackery, who experienced a wide cut on her ankle from an accident involving a large gate in early July. She and her husband went to the Emergency Department at St. Joseph’s Hospital-South at the recommendation of her primary care provider, Dr. Okwudili Okpaleke with BayCare Medical Group. It was evident during her visit that she needed wound care and IV antibiotics to prevent infection. She hoped to avoid a hospital stay. 

“I asked the care team if I would have to stay in the hospital for a few days, and that’s when their faces lit up and they told me about BayCare Virtual Hospital,” said Thackery. “They then spent time with us explaining everything, and I was sent home with the medication, instructions and monitoring equipment that I needed.” 

Patients who enroll in the BayCare Virtual Hospital pilot will receive two daily, in-person visits from skilled nurses, a daily virtual visit by a health care provider, remote monitoring by a dedicated team and other services, as needed. Enabling patients’ access to high-quality health care in their homes can improve outcomes by reducing stress on patients and their families while also improving access to acute hospital care for the community. 

“It was a great experience to be able to recover at home. You can have people over, sleep in your own bed, eat your own food and move around with more ease,” said Thackery, herself a retired nurse with more than 30 years of experience treating patients. “The care team was so nice, and they clearly knew what they were doing. They took great care to make sure I was healing properly and that I was comfortable. If this is an option for a patient who may not need to stay at the hospital, I would encourage them to take advantage of it, because it just makes so much sense.” 

Some of the qualifying conditions that can be considered for care by BayCare Virtual Hospital include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), congestive heart failure, cellulitis, pneumonia and renal insufficiency, among others. Care providers will connect with patients via a computer tablet provided to patients to use in their homes. Patients will also receive any remote patient monitoring equipment they may need, for tracking vitals like blood pressure and blood-oxygen levels. Patients can reach out to BayCare team members 24/7. 

“Once again, BayCare is on the leading edge of the future of medicine,” said Dr. Chris Bucciarelli, vice president and chief medical officer of Ambulatory Services. “This approach brings medical professionals and services directly to patients, in a home setting, where patients can control their environment and maximize rest. We’re so excited to be able to provide our clinically excellent and compassionate care via BayCare Virtual Hospital.” 

Dr. Bucciarelli has overseen the BayCare Virtual Hospital pilot since it began, and BayCare Medical Group Assistant Medical Director Dr. Dan LaBarbera has been supervising patient care, including Thackery’s care, as the St. Joseph’s Hospital-South hospitalist assigned to the project. 

“We know patients are looking for more options for care in the home, and this innovative solution simultaneously frees up brick-and-mortar hospital beds for our most acute patients,” said St. Joseph’s Hospital-South President Patrick Downes. “Our hospital physicians and team members have done an amazing job implementing aspects of BayCare Virtual Hospital, and we’re so excited to get started with this unique offering.” 

The BayCare Virtual Hospital pilot helps patients recover faster and receive customized care at home, supported by advanced remote patient monitoring technologies. BayCare continues to explore ways to expand this pilot to other hospitals and regions to ensure more patients can benefit from this advanced mode of health care delivery. 

Learn more at BayCare Virtual Hospital.