Amedisys subsidiary (NASDAQ: AMED) Contessa Health has partnered with Texas-based health system Baylor Scott & White Health to develop a model for continuous care in the home, which includes palliative care components.
The move is aimed at providing new alternative care models to extend comprehensive, coordinated care to patients’ homes, including hospital-level care, palliative and supportive care.
“We are dedicated to developing and delivering new, convenient options for our patients, offering high quality care when and where they want it,” said Baylor Scott & White CEO Pete McCanna in a recent announcement. “These innovative at-home solutions will empower those we serve, enhancing the recovery process and improving outcomes.”
The new care model offers an alternative to conventional inpatient hospitalization or skilled nursing care at home. It also gives patients, families and caregivers additional options for support.
Baylor Scott & White will begin rolling out the program to eligible patients beginning in 2023. The nonprofit health system provides a continuum of care services to more than 3 million Texans through 51 hospitals and more than 1,100 medical centers in Dallas, Fort Worth and Temple.
“We are thrilled to partner with Baylor Scott & White to offer greater options to patients, improving their experience,” said Contessa CEO Travis Messina. “Baylor Scott & White has a century-long reputation for providing high-quality care in the communities it serves, and we are eager to work collaboratively to soon provide hospital-level care to patients within the comfort and safety of their homes.”
This move exemplifies Tennessee-based Contessa Health’s joint venture and partnership strategy to expand its scale and its range of services. The company provides a continuum of home-based care, including high-acuity services such as hospital-at-home and skilled-nursing-at-home services.
Contessa Health in January began partnering with New York’s Mount Sinai Health System to offer home-based palliative care. Thus far, the company reports strong patient engagement, Contessa COO Aaron Stein told Hospice News. The model will springboard similar partnerships down the road.
Home health and hospice provider Amedisys acquired the company last June for a $250 million price tag. The deal has opened doors to new mergers and acquisitions, as well joint venture opportunities for Amedisys, with the company picking up speed in its strategies.
Amedisys executives recently reported at the Jefferies 2022 Healthcare Conference that the Contessa’s revenues are growing faster than anticipated. The company initially laid out a multi-year plan to reach $500 million in revenue, but believes this pace has accelerated due to “sizable opportunities” in the palliative care and skilled nursing facility at-home space.
Companies featured in this article:
Amedisys, Baylor Scott & White Health, Contessa Health, Jeffries Financial Group, Mount Sinai Health System
