After dealing with a persistent cough and diarrhea and cycling through various over-the-counter medications, Lincoln Heights resident Javier Muniz finally went to urgent care at the L.A. County-USC Medical Center last month.
Physicians at the hospital, which has since been renamed the Los Angeles General Medical Center, realized that Muniz’s medical history included living with HIV. The 46-year-old was diagnosed with giardiasis, an intestinal infection, and was hospitalized for four days while doctors treated his symptoms, drew blood and performed a CT scan.
Hospital officials asked Muniz if he wanted to be one of the first people to participate in L.A. General’s newly expanded Safer at Home program, which was launched during the pandemic to treat about 4,500 COVID-19 patients at home. In September, the program began including patients with other medical conditions.
As of May, at least 556 patients with 37 different diagnoses have participated in the program. They’ve been cared for remotely by a team of several dozen nurses and five physicians, according to hospital officials.
L.A. General is one of the largest public hospitals in the U.S. and historically has treated medically underserved patients in the region.
“What this is, is concierge-level medicine, which is what rich people are accustomed to getting, but instead we’re giving it to the patients coming to L.A. General, both because it’s safer for the patients to not have to be in the hospital and it’s a much more patient-centered experience,” said Brad Spellberg, chief medical officer of L.A. General.
Slightly more than half of the patients were referred from the emergency department and avoided admission altogether; a little fewer than half were hospitalized but discharged much earlier, according to Spellberg.
On average, the program has saved about three hospital days per patient, compared with the typical stay of around five days.
Muniz was sent home with a pre-programmed cellphone that allowed him to communicate with his medical team via audio or video call, as well as equipment including a thermometer and pulse oximeter. Nurses called him several times a day to track his progress, to make sure he was taking his medication properly and on time, and to answer any questions that Muniz had.
“When I’m hospitalized, I get stressed out,” he said. “It makes me just want to leave. It’s scary trying to figure out what’s wrong with oneself and waiting in a room isolated. It’s just not comfortable. Being hospitalized you’re also away from family and friends, and the restrictions on visits make it hard to stay connected to your loved ones.”
…continued
swipe to next page
©2023 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
For more latest Health News Click Here