About a year after their affiliation was finalized, long-term care provider Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society and healthcare system Sanford Health in Sioux Falls, SD, launched a program meant to bring clinical care to older adults in their homes, whether that means an assisted living community, a nursing home or a private home.
Since that time, the “clinic without walls,” which began in January 2020, has grown from serving residents in 14 long-term care communities to serving residents in 40 long-term care communities, Good Samaritan Society Vice President of Nursing and Clinical Services Rochelle Rindels told the McKnight’s Business Daily. Half of the locations are Good Samaritan Society communities, she added.
“This service is one of the many benefits of being part of an integrated health system,” she said. “We have the ability to collaborate with our Sanford colleagues, which makes it possible to find innovative solutions to deliver health care in new and better ways.”
The clinic provides primary care, acute care, wound debridement, advanced care planning, medication management and sutures, Rindels said, “as well as most services a resident would receive at a brick-and-mortar clinic.”
The model also provides SNFist/transitional care, medical directorships and provider services through Great Plains Medicare Advantage, an institutional special needs plan, or I-SNP, Rindels added.
“What we do, and what the providers do, is they bring the care to you. In the home, wherever the patient is at,” Clinic Director Ashley Hall said in a post on Sanford Health’s website. “We understand care is going to continuously change, and as a healthcare entity, we too need to change and make the necessary care delivery changes to meet patients’ needs.”
Residents and their families appreciate the convenience and accessibility of the clinic, Rindels said.
“Bringing the clinic to where our residents and patients live means they don’t have to travel to see a doctor, and it’s less disruptive in their day. They can receive medical treatment in the comfort of their own home,” she said. “Families tell us they are grateful for the support and care their loved ones receive from the clinic providers.”
The effort also has been a hit among staff members, Rindels said. “Our staff love it, too. Nurses work side-by-side and collaborate with these providers while caring for the residents.”
