Collaboration Aims to Provide Virtual Care to Long-Term Care Residents

Through the expansion of its partnership with Third Eye Health, LTC ACO aims to provide its members with access to a virtual care network and mobile technology to enhance treatment within long-term care facilities.

LTC ACO is the first accountable care organization in the United States dedicated to long-term care facility residents.

Through the expansion of a partnership with Third Eye Health, members will gain access to virtual, acute-level care at the bedside. This will take place through telehealth technology provided by Third Eye Health, which defines itself as a provider of the largest post-acute virtual care network in the nation.

“The use of telemedicine during the height of the pandemic highlighted the value of this service for our participants,” said Jason Feuerman, president and CEO of LTC ACO, in a press release. “Telemedicine is an increasingly important tool for providing care to patients in long-term care settings and by leveraging this technology, we can provide timely and convenient access to medical expertise, reduce hospital readmissions and ultimately improve patient outcomes. Collaborating with Third Eye is a vital component of our commitment to delivering patient-centered care.”

Aiming to enhance care in long-term facilities, the virtual care network can also help to limit unnecessary hospital visits. The network will be available to ACO participants after hours, during holidays, and on weekends. This access will be free of cost for LTC ACO participants.

“The Virtual Care Network from LTC ACO and Third Eye Health is a tremendous resource for our facilities,” said Chris Wasel, president of marketing and strategic partnerships at Vantage Healthcare, a member organization of LTC ACO, in the press release. “Staff at our facilities are impressed by the response time. Seeing the physician on camera is great for the patient and often results in a better assessment than a phone call. This collaboration is fantastic for helping us keep patients in the facility and not having to send them to the hospital.”

Efforts to implement virtual and in-home care models are growing.

In May, Included Health and DispatchHealth worked in partnership to add a virtual-to-in-home care model that aims to treat patients while allowing them to remain in their homes.

Included Health provides telehealth along with healthcare navigation services. Together with DispatchHealth, it began a virtual-to-in-home care model that will allow patients to transition between online and in-home care. Treating complex injuries, illnesses, and diseases, this program includes in-home diagnostics, pharmacy, and Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments-certified laboratory services.

In February, Mary Washington Healthcare worked with Caregility to add a virtual nursing program.

Specifically, Mary Washington Healthcare used the Inpatient Virtual Engagement (IVE) solution from Caregility to support the addition of the program. Through the virtual nursing program, clinicians use synchronous, video-enabled technology to assist those who do not need in-person care. This occurs through telehealth, observation and consultation, and device fleet management capabilities.