New Partnership to Implement In-Home Acute Care in Wisconsin

Marshfield Clinic Health System, headquartered in Wisconsin, is joining forces with DispatchHealth to increase the availability of in-home acute care services in an effort to lower emergency department visits, reduce costs, and improve outcomes.

Marshfield Clinic Health System provides healthcare services to residents of Wisconsin and the upper peninsula of Michigan. The system includes over 1,400 providers representing 170 specialties across 60 locations.

DispatchHealth supports the delivery of at-home care with medical teams trained in emergency medicine and internal medicine, offering various services, including mobile imaging.

A rural healthcare system, Marshfield Clinic Health aims to increase at-home care to reach a larger number of Wisconsin residents. This led the organization to work with DispatchHealth.

"The face of health care is evolving faster than ever, and we are evolving along with it," said Marshfield Clinic Health System CEO Susan Turney, MD, in the press release. "This partnership and the value it brings to our patients aligns with our commitment to bring high-quality healthcare services close to, and in this case inside, the homes of our patients. It is a win for our organization and for those we serve."

Marshfield Clinic Health System will leverage DispatchHealth's platform, which consists of virtual treatment options for various conditions such as viral infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and heart disease. Patients can also engage in an in-home, in-person visit with the care team, providing all necessary tools.

"Access to quality healthcare for all is a driving force at DispatchHealth. Our unique care model enables our partners to extend their reach to patients in rural communities," said Mark Prather, MD, co-founder and CEO, of DispatchHealth, in a press release. "We are excited to expand our footprint to Wisconsin and empower Marshfield Clinic to go beyond traditional care settings to meet patients where they are."

The service is available to residents in Western and Central Wisconsin.

Collaborations that aim to increase healthcare access within rural communities are growing, especially since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In June, HealthInfoNet, the statewide health information exchange (HIE) in Maine, announced that it would work with the Rhode Island Quality Institute and Vermont’s VITL to improve care, reduce costs, and produce better outcomes. The collaboration aims to enhance regional interoperability and data-sharing to enhance healthcare for communities that often face disparities, like those who live in rural New England.

Also in June, Appalachian Regional Healthcare began using Biofourmis’ technology to provide rural Kentucky communities with hospital-level acute care at home. The program includes 10 virtual beds, the use of various devices to obtain physiologic data, and a companion app.