Since February, Atrium Health Levine Children’s Hospital has brought medical care to 50 kids’ homes through visits and online checkups. No other hospital in Charlotte offers this type of service for children.
Healthcare workers visit patients twice daily, bringing IV treatments and medications. “People heal better from their home. You take kids who don’t really know what’s going on, and you put them back in a situation where they’re comfortable with their toys, their pets, and their bed,” said paramedic Billy Long to WSOC-TV.
Kids see their doctors through video screens. Medical staff stay close by, never more than 30 minutes away, ready to help at any time.
Dr. Stefanie Reed started this new way of helping sick kids. “We were looking for ways to creatively expand capacity to make sure we are getting our critical patients,” Reed said.
Take six-year-old Mackenzie Conlon. After five tough days fighting the flu in the hospital, she joined the program. Her mom, Stephanie, found comfort in the home care setup. “The unknown is not so scary anymore. When you feel like there’s a community of people that are going to try to get you home and try to help as much here as possible, whenever it’s needed.”
Mackenzie uses a wheelchair due to cerebral palsy. Her condition puts her at higher risk of illness, making treatment at home in familiar surroundings especially valuable.
By treating some kids at home, hospitals can help more sick patients. While plans to grow beyond Charlotte are in the works, no dates have been set yet.
The program gives parents direct access to medical help through video calls whenever needed. Local medical teams bring equipment and medicine right to doorsteps, saving many trips to the hospital.
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