FAYETTEVILLE -- The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences will form and invest in a new limited liability company to expand delivery of in-home care to Arkansans, after approval of the University of Arkansas System board of trustees on Friday.
The new limited liability company will be called UAMS Health Comprehensive Care at Home.
Expanding home health care will achieve several UAMS objectives, including creating a system of model care, increasing capacity to meet patient needs, improving patient outcomes and becoming a fully deployed digital health institution, according to Donald Bobbitt, president of the University of Arkansas System.
Because in-home health care is relatively new for UAMS, the university is partnering with in-home care industry leader Amedisys.
Amedisys will hold 51% of member units of the company and contribute assets valued at $3.7 to $4.1 million, as well as roughly $1.15 million in working capital, while UAMS will hold 49% of member units and will contribute assets valued at $70,000, as well as $2 million for member units and roughly $1.1 million in working capital, according to Bobbitt.
Contessa Health Management Company, an Amedisys affiliate, will oversee and manage day-to-day operations, while UAMS physicians will support the HouseCalls program through a professional services agreement.
The new "hospitals without walls" initiaitve, which should roll out by the end of this calendar year, will provide some UAMS-hospitalized patients the option of receiving "hospital [care] at home, said Dr. Michelle Krause, vice chairperson for Clinical Operations, Quality, and Efficiency in the Department of Internal Medicine, UAMS Service Line director of Medical Specialties, and director of Clinical Services.
"We tend to be quite full with limited beds, and this should allow us to accept more patients who really need to be at UAMS."