Provider Spotlight: Dr. Gudibanda, Marshfield Clinic Health System Home Recovery Care
Whenever Dr. Swetha Gudibanda is asked about Home Recovery Care, it puts a smile on her face.
“My love for this program comes from the heart,” said Dr. Gudibanda. “I enjoy talking about it because I truly believe in it.”
Dr. Gudibanda is a hospitalist and Home Recovery Care medical director at the Marshfield Clinic Health System in Wisconsin. She joined the Home Recovery Care team in 2017. Trained in traditional medicine – primary care, skilled nursing and hospital medicine – it was a move that related to her background.
“Home Recovery Care ties all of those ideas together, plus we have the opportunity to treat the patient holistically.”
The Marshfield Clinic Health System partnered with Contessa to launch Home Recovery Care in 2016. The popular care model is now available in the health system’s Eau Claire, Minocqua and Weston locations. It works, says Dr. Gudibanda, because patients often heal better in the comfort of their own home. That notion has proven to be truer as the state battles a COVID-19 surge.
“One of my COVID-19 patients told me he thought he was going to die alone in the hospital, but instead he went home with Home Recovery Care. With care and comfort from his family, he is now healthy. While medical intervention is vital, it often doesn’t compare to the support family members provide.”
Eligible patients are sent home with remote patient monitoring devices and are frequently visited by acute care registered nurses. Physicians use tablets to round on their patients. The technology came easy to Dr. Gudibanda and she credits the telehealth visits for creating a more intimate experience with her patients.
“This morning I saw one of our patients sitting in her living room during televideo rounding. She was wrapped under a favorite blanket and watching TV. She said, ‘Doc, whatever you are doing, you are doing it well.’ I felt like I was sitting right there beside her. I never imagined connecting this personally with patients virtually. It makes the whole experience worth it.”