KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Global Medical Response and Covenant Health have launched their new Advanced Care at Home program, which brings hospital-level care to patients in the comfort of their homes.

When it is determined a person is in need of inpatient care, they can then be screened to see if this new at-home option is a good fit for them. Those performing the screening look at whether the patient’s home is a good environment for the program, as well as making sure the patient’s support system can help.

Once approved, there are three factors that make the new program possible.

Doctor Mandy Halford with Covenant Health explains the first part of the team includes the medical professionals at a command center.

Second, is the technology. Halford tells WATE 6 On Your Side News that each patient is equipped with their own personal emergency response device, a phone with a direct line to the command center, a tablet, a router, as well as a battery that will last for 10 hours to ensure the patient’s care is uninterrupted and runs smoothly.

The final factor includes the in-home physicians assistants and nurse practitioners who visit patients at least twice a day.

Doctor Halford explains how this type of program can help some of their patients at Covenant.

“Patients are excited to be back with their loved ones and have their support network surrounding them,” Halford began. “We’ve had patients who’ve had a hard time healing being away from their pets and being back at home with their pets is allowing them to heal better, they’re reporting that they’re getting better sleep in their home setting and we know sleep is extremely important to the healing cycle.”

Halford also serves as the Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Informatics Officer for Covenant Health. She spoke about why she thinks innovative programs like this will help prevent further burnout in medical fields.

“We’re life-long learners in health care and so having a new program that pushes you to be on the cutting edge and pushes you to be up to date with evidence-based medicine, I think is encouraging an inspiring and helps people want to be around for the long-haul,” she said.

The new program is just one month old. Halford said currently this new at-home program is only being offered to adults who need inpatient care at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center, but they look forward to expanding it across their system throughout the next year.

Twelve individuals recently earned community paramedic certifications from GMR’s “Earn While You Learn” Academy, which was developed specifically to staff the new Covenant Health program.

Medically Home is another partner in this initiative.

“This program is in collaboration with Medically Home Group, Inc., and it is the first in the region to offer hospital-level services to people in their homes,” said Covenant Health Spokesperson Rachel Dellinger in an email to WATE 6 On Your Side News. “Eligible medical diagnosis include chronic conditions such as heart failure, pneumonia, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).”