DispatchHealth, a Denver-based provider of urgent and acute care, has announced its plans to acquire Medically Home, a Boston-based company specializing in at-home healthcare for complex medical conditions. This merger heralds the creation of the most extensive platform for delivering high-acuity care directly in patients’ homes, offering services across 50 major metropolitan areas and collaborating with nearly 40 health systems.

Founded in 2013, DispatchHealth has established itself as a leader in the at-home healthcare market by deploying medical teams to treat patients in the comfort of their homes. With a sophisticated technology platform that facilitates diagnostics, treatment, and coordination with health systems, payers, and primary care providers, DispatchHealth aims to provide comprehensive care tailored to individual patient needs.

Medically Home, on the other hand, emerged in 2016 with a mission to empower hospitals to treat high-acuity conditions such as heart failure, pneumonia, and cancer at home. Its innovative technology and robust service offerings have enabled a seamless transition of care, allowing clinicians to bridge the gap between hospital and home settings.

In her remarks to MedCity News, DispatchHealth CEO Jennifer Webster emphasized the unique capabilities of Medically Home, noting their status as a “true pioneer” in the hospital-at-home sector. With a strong track record of collaboration with esteemed health systems, including Mayo Clinic, Kaiser Permanente, and Cleveland Clinic, Medically Home’s commitment to patient-focused care aligns perfectly with DispatchHealth’s mission.

Webster stated, “What set [Medically Home] apart is the depth of their capabilities — their technology, logistics, and support services are unmatched in making hospital-level care possible outside of a hospital’s four walls.” She highlighted that the merger would bring together their respective technologies and clinical expertise, ultimately expanding the potential for high-acuity care in patients’ homes.

The integration of these two giants in at-home healthcare is projected to provide a spectrum of services, from immediate triage for serious health issues to managing complex hospital-level care right at home. Once the acquisition is finalized, DispatchHealth anticipates freeing up more than 62,000 hospital bed days annually, revolutionizing the way healthcare is delivered while alleviating pressure on traditional hospital systems.

Moreover, this acquisition places DispatchHealth at the forefront of developing innovative risk-sharing arrangements within value-based care models that include health systems, payers, and high-risk patients. As the healthcare industry navigates evolving models of care delivery, the merger signals a significant shift toward providing sustainable and efficient healthcare solutions.

However, this announcement arrives amid uncertainties surrounding the future of the federal hospital-at-home program. Although Congress has recently extended the program, which allows Medicare-certified hospitals to provide inpatient-level care at home, this extension is only temporary, valid for another six months. Pippa Shulman, Medically Home’s chief medical officer and chief strategy officer, expressed the importance of a long-term extension for improving the availability of hospital-at-home care.