COVID to HOME Care Model Begins Throughout Dona Ana County

The recent rise in COVID-19 positive cases has placed additional stress on our area hospitals, which are working diligently to support our city, county and regional community.  

In an integrated effort to help, Doña Ana County, the City of Las Cruces and multiple community partners including Electronic Caregiver, Memorial Medical Center, Mountain View Regional Medical Center, Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine and New Mexico State University announced a joint partnership to help mitigate the devastating impact of COVID-19 on the Mesilla Valley community.  

Using an evidence-based model program called COVID to HOME (C2H), hospitals will receive assistance to care for patients who no longer require hospital stays using state-of-the-art services and technology. Using this model approach, patients will be able to discharge from the hospital when their symptoms are controllable. They will receive monitoring and medical support using a tracking and monitoring device provided by Electronic Caregiver. Patients will also have access to telemedicine through the Southern New Mexico Family Medicine Residency program.  

“As the number of cases rises, it is incumbent upon us as a community to find solutions together that keep us moving forward,” Doña Ana County Manager Fernando Macias said.

Utilizing remote monitoring will move people out of the hospital and allow health care providers to monitor their health.  

Among the goals established in the C2H model are to:

• Ensure safe and effective care at home;
• Sustain effective care at home to reduce the need for hospitalization;
• Coordinate safe and effective transfer to a higher level of care, when indicated;
• Utilize telemedicine for frequent monitoring to promote social distancing;
• Partner with EMS for a facilitated telemedicine visit when an in-depth assessment is indicated;
• Decrease the number of COVID-19 related visits to urgent care and emergency departments;
• Decrease the number of patients being admitted to the hospital;
• Decrease healthcare worker exposure to COVID-19;
• Conserve PPE; and
• Improve health outcomes. 

“Working together, we can reduce the devastating impacts of COVID-19 and help save lives throughout our community,” Las Cruces City Manager Ifo Pili said.   

For more information about Doña Ana County, please visit www.donaanacounty.org.