August 12, 2024

At HCCI, we believe that the future of healthcare is in the home. What do you see when you picture “home”? The four patients I saw with Dr. Chiang have very different homes—Betty and Gary lived alone, Quang lived in a multi-generational home, Fazli and Ilma lived in an apartment, and one patient I didn’t write about, Elsa, lived in a nursing home that cost upwards of $6,000 a month. These patients had different racial and economic backgrounds, but by having access to house calls, they had equality in the quality of medical care they received.

House calls are for everyone. Quality medical care isn’t limited to one’s location or socioeconomic background. When a provider comes to HCCI to learn how to provide home-based primary care, they learn how to connect and show care for these homebound and home-limited patients.

Your support of HCCI increases access for the 5.9 million homebound and home-limited individuals who need home-based primary care but can’t access them. How can you help?

• Increase access to home-based primary care by donating to HCCI

• Spread awareness of the value of house calls by sharing these resources

• Refer healthcare providers and practices to HCCI

In 2017, Rush University Medical Center (RUMC), a 671-bed hospital in Chicago mainly serving the city’s West Side, recognized the need to re-engineer its delivery systems to address population health, reduce health inequities, and combat chronic diseases while controlling healthcare costs. RUMC came to HCCI to address this problem—and in 2018, the Rush@Home house call program was created.

The results were clear: home-based primary care improves health outcomes and lowers overall costs of care. Overall, costs were reduced by 34%, there were 18% fewer hospitalizations, and a 21% reduction in emergency room visits. Further, a six-month study showed that a program with 200 Medicare Shared Savings Program patients could generate over $3,000,000 in savings ($15,000 in savings per patient). Looking at these results, it’s clear—the future of sustainable and quality care is in the home. HCCI’s work to increase access to home-based primary care is more important than ever.

Interested in learning more? See the full care study here.

Every September the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion celebrates Healthy Aging Month. This year it is hosting a National Healthy Aging Symposium: Innovation Across the Age-Friendly Ecosystem, a no-cost virtual event, taking place on September 26. The Symposium will explore successful innovations developed to improve older adult health and well-being.

How does HCCI tie into Healthy Aging Month? Home-based primary care is vital for improving health outcomes for chronically ill, frail, and homebound elderly patients. With the 65+ population rapidly increasing, raising awareness and ensuring healthy aging for this demographic is crucial. Healthy Aging Month perfectly aligns with HCCI's mission to enhance healthcare access and outcomes for older adults. By promoting healthy aging practices and comprehensive care models, HCCI helps seniors maintain their independence and well-being.

Join us in celebrating Healthy Aging Month by supporting HCCI’s mission. Your contributions and involvement help us continue to innovate and provide access to essential home-based care to the growing elderly population. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of seniors and their families.