VCU Health System and BAYADA Home Health Care, the largest not-for-profit home health care provider in the U.S., today announced a new collaboration by forming a company for in-home health and hospice care in the Richmond metropolitan area. The new company, called “VCU Health at Home by BAYADA,” is expected to start accepting patients within the next six to nine months.

Patients living in Richmond and surrounding counties will have a wide array of high quality in-home services available to them, including those to help them recover from an illness, injury or recent hospitalization, as well as end-of-life care. They will continue to have access to their providers once they transition to the comfort of their home.

“We are thrilled to partner with a mission-aligned health care leader like VCU Health as we both drive toward a future where the home is at the center of health care,” said David Baiada, CEO of BAYADA Home Health Care. “With BAYADA’s 45 years of expertise delivering quality care to clients in their homes and this new relationship, we can increase access to care for a significantly growing number of seniors who want and deserve to age in place with comfort and dignity. Together with VCU Health, we will continue to transform the patient experience through compassion, excellence and reliability.”

The launch of “VCU Health at Home by BAYADA” marks BAYADA’s expansion into the Richmond, Va., market for home health and hospice services, where they also offer personal care services for seniors. The company serves communities in 22 states from 347 locations across the country. Post-acute care partners like BAYADA can supplement hospital resources, reduce hospital readmission rates by monitoring at-home care delivery, and improve patient outcomes.

“Our mission is to provide the highest quality care to all Virginians. This mission extends beyond our hospital walls into the communities and homes of the people we serve,” said Art Kellermann, M.D., senior vice president for health sciences at VCU and CEO of VCU Health System. “We are partnering with a national expert to set a new quality standard for home health and hospice care in Virginia. VCU Health at Home by BAYADA gives our patients and their loved ones peace of mind that they will receive the best of what academic health care has to offer in post-acute and palliative care in their familiar environment.”

Over the past several years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand and need for health care solutions that allow patients to receive care in the comfort of their own homes have increased. According to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MEDPAC), hospice utilization among Medicare beneficiaries who passed away rose to a new record of 51.6% in 2019, and a 2020 William Blair survey found that 81% of physicians with discharge planning responsibility preferred to send their patients to a home health agency rather than other post-acute care alternatives, representing a significant increase from 54% of physicians preferring home health care prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our relationship with BAYADA is built around quality of care, the patient experience, and improving access for our most vulnerable populations,” said Ryan Raisig, Associate Vice President for Coordinated Care and Continuum Integration at VCU Health. “Having our own home health and hospice care program is an incredibly important service for our patients and their loved ones. Access to high quality, in-home care for individuals recovering from an injury or illness will provide a more comprehensive patient care experience. For families making the difficult decision to seek hospice care for a parent or grandparent, it means they can be fully present and create more memories instead of worrying about the quality of care their loved ones will receive after leaving our hospital.”

Located in Richmond, Va., VCU Health includes an academic medical center with a Level I trauma center and an NCI-designated cancer center.