St. Bernard hospital care at home

Published January 20, 2021

St. Bernards Medical Center in Jonesboro received approval from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to begin providing hospital-level care within patients’ homes.

St. Bernards AcuteHealth at Home gives eligible patients the care they need at home, providing time with family and caregivers without visitation restrictions. CMS granted the waiver to St. Bernards following a review for protocols and safety. To ensure appropriate at-home hospital care, SBAH care includes daily evaluations from registered nurses, either in person or remotely, and two in-person visits from registered nurses or paramedics.         

St. Bernards Healthcare President and CEO Chris Barber said the hospital will begin accepting its first home patients within the coming weeks.

SBAH-eligible patients require admittance from an emergency department or an inpatient hospital bed. In addition, they receive screenings for both medical and non-medical factors, including working utilities and an assessment of physical barriers.

To date, 63 acute-care hospitals across the country have applied for and received a waiver from CMS for the Acute Hospital Care at Home program