Former patients give Home Hospital program an enthusiastic thumbs up

Which would you prefer – sleeping in your own bed or a hospital bed?

Melissa Desmond was given that choice when clinicians at Yale New Haven Hospital asked if she wanted to receive care through Yale New Haven Health’s Home Hospital program.

“I jumped at the chance,” she said during a June 4 press conference marking the program’s two-year anniversary. “I wanted to go home.”

The voluntary program provides hospital-level acute care and services to patients meeting certain clinical and social criteria who live within 25 miles of Bridgeport or Yale New Haven hospitals. It serves patients with heart failure, pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cellulitis, sepsis, COVID and other conditions.

The program combines daily video visits from physicians, at least twice daily home visits from nurses and, if needed, visits from other healthcare professionals such as physical and occupational therapists. The program also provides lab draws, intravenous fluids, intravenous antibiotics, medications and medical equipment at home. The equipment includes an emergency device patients can use to contact the Home Health mission control 24/7.

By the time the Rev. William McCullough left Bridgeport Hospital after a four-day inpatient stay, the Home Hospital team “had already transformed my bedroom into a little hospital room,” he said at the press conference.

McCullough and Desmond were each treated for infections through Home Hospital. Desmond said she appreciated being with her family and was able to begin doing a little work from home as she recovered.

“Based on my experience, the quality of care was amazing,” she said. “I would absolutely recommend it.”

“The one really comforting thing was the peace of mind I had,” McCullough added. “It was just a great, great, great experience.”

Learn more about the Home Hospital program