Cancer CareAugust 21, 2024
Same-day, in-home urgent care now available to cancer patients
Program aims to increase access to care and decrease emergency department visits
(SACRAMENTO)
People being treated at UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center are the latest UC Davis Health patients to benefit from urgent care delivered to their home. As of this month, they can receive urgent medical care from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., 365 days per year.
The patients will be seen for issues such as nausea, vomiting, fever, wound checks and pain.
UC Davis Health has partnered with DispatchHealth, the nation’s first comprehensive in-home medical care provider, to roll out the new program. A vehicle displaying the logos of both organizations, and equipped with a mobile lab for blood tests, will show up at residences by appointment.
The urgent care at home program was initially offered to the UC Davis Health primary care patients last year. It is designed to improve access to care, deliver a better patient experience, lessen unnecessary emergency department visits and reduce hospital readmissions.
“We are pleased to offer this human-centered care to our patients undergoing treatments for cancer,” said David Tom Cooke, interim physician-in-chief of UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center. “We are essentially going back to the future by providing house calls to our patients, making it less stressful, more convenient and faster to get relief from their symptoms — all while leveraging the latest technology to ensure they are getting the best possible outcome, and avoiding the emergency department.”
We are pleased to offer this human-centered care to our patients undergoing treatments for cancer.”—David Tom Cooke, Interim physician-in-chief, UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center
DispatchHealth will assign two vehicles within a 25-mile radius of UC Davis Medical Center . Care will be furnished by a nurse practitioner or physician assistant, as well as a trained medical technician. A board-certified emergency department physician is available virtually, as needed, by the on-site care team at the patient’s home.
“The Urgent Medical Care At-Home program is designed to be a pillar of support for patients during their times of sickness and vulnerability,” said Vimal Mishra, the head of digital care at UC Davis Health. “This innovative initiative brings compassionate care directly to patients' homes, sparing them from lengthy emergency room waits. It is a testament to the collaborative efforts between our innovation technology, ambulatory operations and care delivery teams. They have seamlessly integrated technology to create a digitally enabled care experience that not only enhances patient care but also streamlines health care delivery.”
UC Davis Health patients can request access to the new at-home urgent care by contacting their oncologist, primary care provider, advice nurse or UC Davis Health's Express Care.
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UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center
UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center is the only National Cancer Institute-designated center serving the Central Valley and inland Northern California, a region of more than 6 million people. Its specialists provide compassionate, comprehensive care for more than 100,000 adults and children every year and access to more than 200 active clinical trials at any given time. Its innovative research program engages more than 240 scientists at UC Davis who work collaboratively to advance discovery of new tools to diagnose and treat cancer. Patients have access to leading-edge care, including immunotherapy and other targeted treatments. Its Office of Community Outreach and Engagement addresses disparities in cancer outcomes across diverse populations, and the cancer center provides comprehensive education and workforce development programs for the next generation of clinicians and scientists. For more information, visit cancer.ucdavis.edu.
