FORT SMITH, Ark. — The demand for hospital beds has risen significantly as COVID-19 continues to surge across the country
To address this need, Mercy COVID Care @ Home will offer remote, in-home care for patients with mild symptoms who may need low-flow rates of oxygen, offering virtual home monitoring in real-time.
This 24-hour care will include measurement of oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry, adjusting oxygen flow as necessary, along with additional evaluations and appropriate interventions.
“We have learned that not all patients who were admitted at the onset of COVID-19 need to be hospitalized,” said Dr. Carter Fenton, medical director of Mercy Virtual vAcute. “By caring for select patients at home, with ongoing monitoring and management, we can reserve the hospital beds for those with more serious disease symptoms.”
If the status of any patient changes during monitoring or symptoms worsen, patients will be evaluated by the Mercy Virtual team and directed to the most appropriate level of care.
“Providing the opportunity for care in different settings is extremely important – for both the patients as well as our medical teams,” Dr. Fenton said.
“The challenging part for patients is determining their needs and our Mercy Virtual providers will help them through that process.”