Guardian Home Health Releases White Paper on “Transitionist” Home Health Collaborative Model

ATLANTA, GA (December 6, 2018) – Salude, a preeminent transitional care and physical recovery facility in Atlanta, Georgia, implemented a transitionist clinical model with Guardian Home Health, an AccentCare, Inc. company, enabling over 96% of Salude patients to successfully complete recovery at home. This collaborative care model combines extension of Salude’s line of sight into the home with Guardian Home Health’s 4.5-star quality rating to improve rehabilitative outcomes and lower both re-hospitalization and emergency department utilization rates.

“Salude’s focus has always been on patient outcomes as well as patient experience, part of which is influenced by shorter lengths of stay in a first-of-a kind facility,” said Dr. Alan L. Wang, MD, SFHM, FACP and CEO. “The transitionist model work with Guardian Home Health has helped optimize both measures while enabling a safe and early discharge to the home setting without compromising on results.”  

The transitionist model addresses common challenges for health care systems regarding post-acute care. Lack of coordination at, and following, patient discharge, often results in incomplete transfer of information, medication discrepancies, and patients and families who are unprepared for patient care at home. The Transitionist Home Health Collaborative Model creates a seamless integrated care continuum with active connection to Salude, primary care, and other facility-based care resources.

“The transitionist model has proven success in patient rehabilitation measures as well as overall satisfaction with the recovery experience,” said Dr. Greg Sheff, AccentCare Chief Medical Officer. “Seamless integration with Salude enables care delivery results that exceed industry performance.”

Elements critical to the model’s success include careful preparation and well-orchestrated care at home. Guardian Home Health begins patient transition with an on-site home health clinical liaison, thorough preparation of the home environment, and home care admission within 24 hours of discharge. Once on service for home health, multi-disciplinary patient visits are made over a 60-day period. Given that the first two weeks after discharge are often the most critical to optimal recovery, visit-rate intensity is skewed to the beginning of the care episode. All patients, including those considered to be at higher risk, are carefully monitored.

About Guardian Home Health

Guardian Home Health is owned by AccentCare, Inc., a nationwide leader in post-acute healthcare as well as specialized care management prior to acute episodes. Its wide variety of innovative services ranges from personal, non-medical care to skilled nursing, rehabilitation, hospice, and care management. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, AccentCare has over 23,000 compassionate professionals in more than 190 locations, with regional brands including AccentCare, Accolade, Doctors’ Choice, Guardian Home Health & Hospice, Nurses Unlimited, Sta-Home, and Texas Home Health.

In addition, the company has over 30 strategic partnerships with insurance companies, physician groups and major health systems, including joint ventures with Asante, Baylor Scott & White Health, UC San Diego Health and UCLA Health.

AccentCare leads the industry in avoidance of unplanned re-hospitalizations, faster starts of care and quality performance. Many of its home health agencies have earned the HomeCare Elite distinction, and all legacy hospice locations are CHAP accredited, with designations from the We Honor Veterans program.

About Salude

Salude is a transitional care and physical recovery facility supporting recoveries from surgeries, trauma, acute exacerbations of chronic illness, infections, and other acute medical issues. Opened in July 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia, the facility was designed and built with a focus on addressing every facet of a holistic and exceptional patient experience including clinical excellence as well as top-of-the-line hospitality.

Salude takes a team-based patient- and family-centered approach, offering upscale cuisine that nourishes the body and promotes healing, superb rehabilitation services with state-of-the-art equipment, and individualized privacy to nurture the recovery process. In a serene setting with stunning views and 64 all-private suites with over 330 square feet of space, chef-prepared cuisine, complimentary WiFi, and on-site concierge services, Salude is one-of-a-kind.

Additionally, Salude’s rehabilitation programs are supported by such appointments as an Aegis Therapies® in a 3,000 square foot state-of-the-art gym open seven days a week and an AlixaRx™ automated dispensing unit for medications.

Salude has a full-time Chief Executive Officer and Medical Director as well as three primary care groups, an infectious disease physician, a physiatrist (rehabilitation physician) and a wound care nurse on staff. Nurse practitioners are available seven days a week and community nurse practitioners are available for home visits after discharge.