Mary Frances Barthel, MD, MHCM, FACP, SFHM, Vice President and Chief Medical Information Officer at Blessing Health System, is among the authors of a research article recently published in The Journal of Rural Health, the official journal of the National Rural Health Association.
The article, titled "Hospital Care at Home for Adults Living in Rural Settings: A Qualitative Evaluation," examined the experiences of patients who received hospital-level care in their homes rather than in a traditional hospital setting. The research included patients from three rural sites in the United States and Canada, including Blessing Hospital in Quincy.
The study found that patients receiving rural home hospital care reported high levels of satisfaction, citing the quality of care, comfort of recovering at home, strong relationships with care teams, and the ability to remain close to family and support systems.
"Our experience at Blessing Health System showed that rural patients can safely receive hospital-level care at home while remaining close to their families, caregivers, and communities," said Dr. Barthel. "Although Blessing's Hospital From Home program ended when the Medicare waiver expired in 2025, the lessons learned and positive outcomes achieved demonstrate the promise of hospital-at-home care for the future."
Dr. Barthel said publication in The Journal of Rural Health is both professionally rewarding and personally meaningful because it validates what Blessing caregivers observed through the Hospital From Home program, helping elevate the experiences of rural patients in healthcare research.
"This publication demonstrates that innovation in healthcare doesn't have to be limited by geography," Dr. Barthel said. "Our patients showed us that hospital-level care can be delivered safely and effectively in the home while improving the overall patient experience. That's an important lesson for the future of rural healthcare."
The study was conducted by a multidisciplinary team of healthcare leaders, clinicians and researchers from organizations across the United States and Canada.