VALUE-BASED CARE HELPS HEALTH SYSTEMS SUPPORT PATIENTS DURING NATURAL DISASTERS 

Alternative Payment Models Enable Investments in Innovative Approaches to Reach Patients Beyond Hospital Walls

Value-based care models reimburse hospitals, health systems, and other healthcare providers based, in part, on care quality and outcomes. These models allow health systems like Bon Secours Mercy Health to invest in care coordination and remote patient monitoring (RPM). These programs become especially important when natural disasters strike, cutting many patients off from their usual sources of care and support. 

Douglas's story:

Douglas relies on an oxygen tank that must be charged regularly for his chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. When Hurricane Helene knocked out his power, he started cutting back his oxygen use to conserve the battery, worsening his symptoms.

Thankfully, a nurse from Bon Secours Mercy Health’s RPM program called Douglas soon after the storm hit. The nurse assessed how he was doing and encouraged him to go the emergency department. Douglas was hesitant but, after several check-in calls, he agreed to go. The nurse arranged an ambulance to transport him safely to the hospital, where he was treated for severely low oxygen levels. If it weren’t for the RPM team, Douglas may not have survived.

Douglas is just one of many patients supported by BSMH in Helene’s aftermath. Even amid disaster, the RPM system enabled the health system to protect patients and catch potentially life-threatening issues early—often before patients themselves were even aware of them.

By focusing on patient outcomes and quality of care, value-based care models allow health systems such as Bon Secours Mercy Health to invest in the technology, infrastructure, and workforce to support patients beyond hospital walls. Without continued support for value-based models, patients like Douglas might not get the support they need.

This patient story has been de-identified to protect patient privacy consistent with HIPAA – no real patient names are referenced, while the experience described reflects actual events.