DispatchHealth Furthers Nationwide Expansion and Announces New Health System Partnerships

Convenient and cost-effective mobile healthcare delivery solution to save an estimated $100 million in medical expenses for patients nationwide

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DispatchHealth

Jan 07, 2019, 12:48 ET

DENVER, Jan. 7, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- DispatchHealth announced today national expansion in three new markets, in addition to numerous health system partnerships, to further augment affordable on-demand health care services delivered to patients in the comfort of their own home. These partnerships and new markets include: Baystate Health in Springfield, Massachusetts; MultiCare in Tacoma, Washington; and a major nonprofit health system in North Texas. With the establishment of these three additional markets, DispatchHealth will deliver acute care to nearly 80,000 patients nationwide in 2019, saving an estimated $100 million in medical expenses. These partnerships are designed to improve access to care, deliver a better patient experience and reduce the total cost of care.

DispatchHealth is redesigning the facility-based care model by bringing high-acuity care to those patients who typically struggle with access to care in their time of need. DispatchHealth teams arrive with the ability to treat common to complex clinical problems, such as pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, skin infections, minor trauma, UTIs, sprains, laceration repairs and much more. Services are conveniently requested via phone, web or the DispatchHealth mobile app. Once a request is made and screened for medical appropriateness, a medical team is dispatched to the patient's home (or other location of need, such as at work or a senior living community) in under two hours. Each medical team consists of either a physician assistant or nurse practitioner, along with a medical technician, in addition to a board-certified and locally licensed physician on-call. To ensure continuity of care, a detailed report is provided to each patient's care management staff, home health agency and/or primary care physician.

"It's surprising that up to 50 percent of people who visit the emergency room every day could be treated in a lower cost setting," said Dr. Mark Prather, CEO and co-founder, DispatchHealth. "This staggering number contributes to the $18 billion spent annually on emergency care. In addition to the cost, emergency room visits can be inconvenient. Twenty percent of patients return to the emergency room within 30 days of discharge for the same problem. Our model has proven that quality and affordable acute medical care can be delivered safely in our patients' home or location of need."

Baystate Health currently serves 850,000 patients throughout western New England and is the largest private employer. MultiCare is the largest community-based, locally governed health system in the state of Washington.

"Baystate Health's partnership with DispatchHealth allows us to continue to deliver high-quality and high-value care, including home visits for high-risk populations and those with access obstacles. In just the first month of service, we have provided an excellent experience for patients and their families in the comfort of their homes," said Dr. Andrew Artenstein, chief physician executive and chief academic officer, Baystate Health.

DispatchHealth partners with most major insurance companies and handles billing directly with those companies, including Medicare, Medicaid, Medicare Advantage plans, Managed Medicaid plans, Anthem/Blue Cross Blue Shield, United Healthcare, Aetna, Humana and Cigna. The medical cost for a visit with DispatchHealth is just a tenth of the cost of the average emergency room visit.

DispatchHealth is available seven days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. local time in most locations. The company serves 10 markets across the country and more than doubled its employee headcount in 2018 to over 200.

About DispatchHealth
DispatchHealth is redefining healthcare delivery to offer on-demand care for people of all ages in the comfort of their own home. DispatchHealth's board-certified medical teams are equipped with all the tools necessary to treat common to complex injuries and illnesses. DispatchHealth works closely with payers, providers, health systems and others to deliver care in the home to reduce unnecessary emergency room visits and hospital readmissions. Medical teams are available during the day and also on weekends, evenings and holidays, and can be requested via app, online or a quick phone call. DispatchHealth is partnered with most major insurance companies. For more information, visit DispatchHealth.com.

About Baystate Health
Baystate Health is a not-for-profit integrated healthcare system serving over 850,000 patients throughout western Massachusetts. Nationally recognized as a leader in healthcare quality and safety, Baystate Health has more than 12,000 employees and serves a diverse population of patients at its teaching hospital, Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, as well as at Baystate Children's Hospital, its three community hospitals, several urban health centers, home care and hospice services, and a network of over 80 medical practices. A leader in medical education for more than a century, Baystate Health recently established a new regional campus of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, the first medical school campus in western Massachusetts. Baystate Health is also owner of Health New England, a non-profit health plan serving members in Massachusetts and Connecticut. For more information on Baystate Health, visit www.baystatehealth.org.

About MultiCare
MultiCare is a not-for-profit health care organization with more than 17,000 employees and a comprehensive system of health including numerous primary care, urgent care and specialty services, including MultiCare Indigo Urgent Care, Pulse Heart Institute, MultiCare Medical Associates, MultiCare Rockwood Clinic, Navos Mental Health Solutions, affiliated physicians and a wide range of community outreach programs. Eight hospitals complete our organization: Allenmore Hospital, Auburn Medical Center, Covington Medical Center, Good Samaritan Hospital, Deaconess Hospital, Valley Hospital, Mary Bridge Children's Hospital — the region's only children's hospital and state-designated Level II Pediatric Trauma Center for Western Washington — and Tacoma General Hospital, which is home to the region's only Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

SOURCE DispatchHealth