Provider Spotlight: Dr. Bruce Bethancourt, Dignity Health Home Recovery Care

Dr. Bruce Bethancourt has worked for Dignity Health for the past 7 years and currently serves as their Chief Medical Officer. His mission consists of providing innovative care to patients with state-of-the-art patient services and great patient experiences.

Part of his mission to provide innovative care is what led him to become the Medical Director of the Home Recovery Care program, which has operated in partnership with Contessa since 2019.

When asked about his first impressions of the program he responded, “I immediately thought it was a better care option for the population at a decreased cost.”

In March 2020, CMS announced the Hospitals Without Walls program, which provides broad regulatory flexibility that allowed hospitals to provide services in locations beyond their existing walls. CMS has since expanded on this effort by executing an innovative Acute Hospital Care at Home program, providing eligible hospitals with unprecedented regulatory flexibilities to treat eligible patients in their homes.

Not only does Dr. Bethancourt think HRC is a good option for patients, but he also believes that providers can benefit from the program as well.

“Providers are seeing the long-term benefits –decrease in rehospitalizations, increase in patient satisfaction, and decrease in the average length of stay.”

However, adopting to telehealth can prove to be a challenge for many. “It takes a certain individual to fully adopt this care model. The key to success is that you have to be confident in your ability to care for patients.”

“Patients appreciate the attention and care that they receive in their own home. Home Recovery Care ultimately equates to happier patients and more affordable care.”