Home Hospital Early Adopters Accelerator

Since the Fall of 2021, CaroNova’s Home Hospital Early Adopters Accelerator (HHEAA) program has given patients the opportunity to receive treatment through the home hospital model. Care delivered through this model allows patients to be treated in an environment that is comfortable, less disruptive to their daily routine than traveling to a medical facility, improves functional outcomes, and preserves traditional hospital beds for higher acuity patients. By utilizing the 20 knowledge products (e.g., workflows and protocols) created through the combined efforts of several clinicians and subject matter experts, several hospitals and health systems have been able to access guidance on ensuring robust home hospital implementation in their communities.

Recent successes of the HHEAA have further demonstrated the systems change element of CaroNova’s strategy. As a result of the CaroNova team’s convenings with hospital members and state legislature, the approved South Carolina budget allowed the delivery of home hospital services across the state. Following our continued communication with the North Carolina Division of Health Service Regulation and outreach to policy stakeholders, Senate Bill 206 was signed into law this May allowing hospitals and health systems with Home Hospital programs to continue providing acute care at home in the state. From a federal perspective, we have met with national policy experts to monitor the regulatory status of home hospital services. Providing supporting evidence to government relations teams as they meet with state delegations in D.C., we have ensured that lawmakers in Congress understand the impact of these programs in the Carolinas. As a result of consistent efforts from home hospital advocates and experts, Congress passed the Hospital Inpatient Services Modernization Act in December 2022, which extended Medicare reimbursement for delivering home hospital services beyond the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency.

During the final phase of the HHEAA, CaroNova, and Ariadne Labs continue to provide strategic support to accelerator participants as they utilize knowledge products or launch home hospital programs in their communities. Features of this strategy will continue to include the distribution of new information for hospitals, promotion of educational opportunities, and advocacy updates as we continue to work to remove barriers on state and federal levels, as well as additional opportunities on relevant topics within the Accelerator such as the interactions between policymakers and payors, equity in care delivery, and securing Medicaid reimbursement.