Burgess Home Health Care Works to Provide Higher Quality Care

Burgess Home Health will participate in a three-year quality improvement program with the Iowa Foundation for Medical Care (IFMC) to improve quality of life and care for home health clients and reduce hospitalizations.

Burgess is one of some 20 home health agencies to work with IFMC to specifically decrease hospital admissions and health care costs and keep clients in their homes. In past years, Burgess has worked with the foundation to improve our care for congestive heart failure patients and patients on oxygen and water reduction medications.

“We are committed to providing the best possible care for our clients and are excited about the new resources to help us bring quality care to a new level,” says Sherri Johnston, director of Burgess Home Health. “This program enables us to share information on best practices in home health care in regular meetings with other agencies around the state.”

Working with the IFMC , Burgess will explore home telehealth and telemonitoring of patients and programs designed to reduce hospital readmissions within two weeks after a patient returns home from a hospital stay.   Patients will learn how to self-monitor and be able to better manage their own care at home.

“Quality improvement programs are designed to help us improve patient outcomes and decrease acute care hospitalization,” says Johnston. “It also can support staff development with training sessions and information sharing.”

“By volunteering to partner with the IFMC, Burgess Home Health is demonstrating its commitment to help transform care and reduce healthcare costs,” said Kim Downs, senior director of health care quality programs at IFMC.

  Burgess Home Health Care employs some 22 caregivers involved in providing nursing care, physical and occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social services and home health aide services.