CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids has a new program to care for COVID-19 patients at their homes.
It's available to those who've been diagnosed at the hospital with low to mild symptoms.
The program is designed to maintain hospital capacity as COVID-19 hospitalizations have soared across the country.
Mercy Medical says, so far, no at-home patients have had to return to the ER for treatment.
The home care program offers a self-monitoring kit and includes daily contact from a registered nurse.
“Providing this type of at-home care helps patients recover in the safety and comfort of their own home,” said Tawnya Salsbery, MSN, RN, Mercy senior director of post-acute and senior services. “We decided this program was very appropriate for the current environment, as hospitals try to maintain capacity for more severely ill COVID-19 patients, and many COVID-19 patients with milder symptoms prefer to stay in their own homes to recover. It’s really a win-win.”
Hospitalizations across Iowa have subsided since peaking in November.
Anyone interested in the Mercy Medical Center home treatment COVID-19 program can call 319-398-6203.