TULSA, Okla. – A new partnership is bringing hospital-level care directly to patients’ homes in eastern Oklahoma, potentially revolutionizing access for those in rural and underserved communities. DispatchHealth and Saint Francis Health System have launched a hospital-at-home program designed to either replace or shorten traditional hospital stays.
Bringing the Hospital Home: A New Era of Care
The innovative program aims to improve patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs by delivering comprehensive medical care in the comfort of patients’ own homes.
- The program initially serves patients within a 20-mile radius of Tulsa, with long-term expansion plans.
- Care teams visit patients’ homes at least twice daily, providing assessments, treatment, and support.
- Saint Francis Health System anticipates the program will improve access to care and lower overall healthcare costs.
“For us, it’s a way to expand access for this new level of care at a really low capital investment in comparison to new bed towers – which we’re also opening and expanding for those that need to be transferred in from the region for a higher level of care, while at the same time extending our mission into the home for those that really don’t necessarily need to be in the brick and mortar setting,” said Meg Zacks, senior vice president and chief strategy officer for Saint Francis Health System.
Saint Francis, a Catholic, not-for-profit health system based in Tulsa, employs over 12,000 people. The hospital-at-home program is currently equipped to handle five to six patients, with ambitions for growth. Officials estimate that 30 to 50 patients on any given day could be eligible for this at-home care option, and the virtual unit is designed to manage approximately 40 patients.
What Does Hospital-Level Care at Home Entail?
The program provides a comprehensive suite of services, mirroring those found in a traditional hospital setting. Teams assist with transportation, set up technology for 24/7 communication with care teams, and deliver in-person medical attention. “We are sending teams to home at minimum twice daily, but in some cases, much more than that, to deliver and assess that treatment and how their response to treatment is going,” explained Pippa Shulman, chief medical officer of DispatchHealth. “And if patients need extra support for personal care, we can also provide that as well. Patients are offered meals, so all the things that you would get in the brick and mortar hospital, you get in the comfort and safety of your own home, where people really want to heal.”
What is the difference between hospital-at-home and traditional hospital care? The clinical care provided is the same, but delivered in a patient’s residence, requiring clinicians skilled in home-based treatment. DispatchHealth, founded in 2013 and operating in 20 states, ensures a seamless care ecosystem when expanding into new markets.
In June 2025, DispatchHealth merged with Medically Home, another significant player in the hospital-at-home space. Following the merger, DispatchHealth restructured its operations, resulting in some workforce reductions, an exit from one market, and adjustments to service offerings in nine others.
Expanding Access to Rural Communities
A key goal of the partnership is to extend hospital-at-home services to rural and underserved areas. “We are really excited to partner with St Francis Health, because of the opportunity for patients in rural and underserved areas,” Shulman said. “I believe that we’ll be able to expand with Saint Francis as they’re getting experience in the model, and as patients are getting used to this kind of care. It may require us to come up with new ways that we are expanding to more far-flung areas.”
This expansion may necessitate innovative workforce strategies to support care teams operating in remote environments. Currently, the program focuses on a 20-mile radius around the Tulsa metro area, ensuring medical teams can reach patients’ homes within a 30-minute drive.
Saint Francis Health System anticipates that 60% of its patients currently traveling from outside Tulsa County could potentially benefit from receiving hospital-level care in their local communities, representing a significant long-term vision for the program.
