Katie Lawson

“When you treat someone good, it makes their whole experience.”

When faced with a serious illness, unexpected complications can often land patients in the hospital at the same time they are already trying to manage other healthcare stressors. Afifa experienced this firsthand when side effects from her chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer brought her to the emergency room at Marshfield Medical Center in early September.   “I had major symptoms—diarrhea, nausea, dehydration, and extreme fatigue,” Afifa recalls. “My magnesium and potassium levels were low as well, so they had to admit me to the hospital.”  But Afifa was resistant to the idea of staying in the hospital. She says that…

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Position Spotlight: Recovery Care Coordinator

Shayne was born and raised in the Pittsburgh, PA area, and grew up about 45 minutes north of the city in a town called Butler, PA. He went to Butler County Community College to obtain his associate degree in nursing and then attended Slippery Rock University for his bachelor’s in nursing.   Shayne has experience in nearly every kind of nursing, from skilled nursing to med-surg, to telemetry, critical care, PACU and emergency nursing. Although he loved being a nurse on the hospital floor, his heart and soul pushed him to find a more fulfilling way to help patients. This led…

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“They treated her as if she were their own grandmother.”

Denton’s mom, Joyce, is no stranger to ER visits. At 100 years young, she has struggled with frequent urinary tract infections. Ordinarily, she’s sharp and alert, but when one strikes, disorientation and confusion sets in.   That’s how Denton knew it was time to take her to the ER at Chandler Regional Medical Center in early September. Based on previous visits to the hospital for the same problem, he was expecting a long stay. But this time was different: Joyce was offered enrollment in the Dignity Health Home Recovery Care program, which sends eligible patients home to finish their course of…

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Position Spotlight: Team Lead, Central Ops (Admissions)

Eddie was born and raised in New Jersey. He graduated from Rutgers University in 2012, earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in sociology. He has been with Contessa Health since the partnership with Mount Sinai launched in 2017. In his free time, he loves to travel, work out, and spend time with family and friends.   What does a Team Lead do at Contessa?  A team lead is responsible for managing the daily job requirements of our admission partners (APs). We coordinate schedules, update any market news, and implement set workflows in screening and admissions with the team.…

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Physician Spotlight: Dr. Mahmood Shahlapour, Dignity Health

Dr. Mahmood Shahlapour is a hospitalist with Pioneer Hospitalist Group, working with the Dignity Health network out of Mercy Gilbert Hospital in Chandler, Arizona. Two years ago, he was introduced to Dignity Health Home Recovery Care, a program that transfers eligible patients home to receive hospital-level care.  He recalls it was a paradigm shift: “I was kind of skeptical—and not sure how the transition would [work] from inpatient to taking care of patients at home. There were a lot of questions.”  But he says he believes in always giving new programs a try. “I remember my very first patient.  She…

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“Why go to the hospital when you can get care at home?”

Sometimes you just have a sense that a medical problem is getting too serious to ignore, and that was the case for William. “I had a serious infection in my hand,” the 84-year-old shares. With a history of atrial fibrillation and diabetes, he says, “I told my wife, that infection level gets too bad, it’s liable to do something to my heart, and my sugar, and I got scared.”  That prompted William and his wife of 60 years, Judy, to head to the emergency room at Mercy Gilbert Medical Center near their home in Chandler, Arizona. “They said it’s a…

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Position Spotlight: Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner

Wednesday has been a palliative care nurse practitioner (NP) with Contessa since December 2021. She earned her BSN from NYU and her MSN from Hunter Bellevue Graduate School of Nursing. She was a registered nurse for 15 years before becoming a nurse practitioner. She worked as an inpatient nurse at NYU Langone for two years and at VNSNY Home Care Infusion/CHHA for 8 years; she also held a position as a Field Nurse Supervisor, and most recently worked in palliative nursing and research before transitioning to an NP role.  What does a palliative care nurse practitioner do at Contessa?  A…

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“I think you feel better and get healthier sooner.”

Chest discomfort and shortness of breath landed David in the emergency room at Hershey Medical Center. “I thought I was having a heart attack,” he says. “It turns out it was more of an anxiety attack.” Congestive heart failure was to blame for his symptoms, and he needed IV medications and continued care.   Within a couple of hours of his arrival in the ER, David was offered the opportunity to finish his course of treatment at home with the Penn State Health Home Recovery Care program. “When they came to me with the proposal to go home, the smile on…

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Amedisys, Contessa Team Up With University Of Arkansas To Offer In-Home Care Services

Home Health Care News, October 11, 2022 Amedisys Inc. (Nasdaq: AMED) and Contessa Health are teaming up with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) to offer at-home care services to patients in Central Arkansas. The parties involved announced a joint venture this week that will allow Contessa and Amedisys to deliver care across the full continuum in the home in a new region. Click here to read the full article.

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University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Announces a Partnership with Amedisys and Contessa, Creating a Comprehensive Care at Home Suite of Services

The partnership is the first-of-its-kind in the region and creates a new care at home option for patients, including Recovery Care at Home, Rehabilitation Care at Home, Palliative Care at Home, Primary Care at Home and Home Health Little Rock, Ark. and Nashville, Tenn. – October 11, 2022 – The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), Amedisys (NASDAQ: AMED), a leading health care at home company, and Contessa, an Amedisys company and the leading comprehensive care at home provider, announced a partnership bringing a new care at home option to Central Arkansas. The joint venture offers patients a full…

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