Virtua Health will resume its innovative Hospital at Home program on Monday, November 17, following the resolution of the federal government shutdown. This program enables clinically eligible patients to receive hospital-level care in the comfort of their own homes—a model that’s proven to enhance patient satisfaction and improve overall outcomes.

Hospital at Home programs nationwide were forced to close during the government shutdown, due to a lapse in funding authorization from the federal government.

During the 43-day suspension, Virtua’s care-at-home team shifted focus to its Care After Discharge program, enrolling approximately 900 patients in October alone—nearly doubling patient volume for the program compared to any previous month. From January through October 2025, more than 4,500 patients benefited from Care After Discharge, which ensures safe and supported transitions from hospital to home.

For clarity: Hospital at Home provides hospital-level care in the home setting, while Care After Discharge offers monitoring and other support services following hospital treatment. Care After Discharge is available to both patients participating in Hospital at Home and those who stay in a traditional brick-and-mortar hospital. Both programs cover 60 different diagnoses, including pneumonia, congestive heart failure, and urinary tract infections. Additionally, Virtua provides home health, palliative care, and hospice care.

“Although we did not invite this disruption, we did use it as a learning opportunity,” said Michael Capriotti, MBA, senior vice president and president of advanced care operations and logistics at Virtua. “Because we staff and operate all our home-based services—rather than outsource them to third-party agencies—we had the ability to redirect our energies to Care After Discharge and keep our team as busy and productive as ever.”

“We’ve always known the potential of Care After Discharge, and we have been developing plans to expand it,” said Diego Ortega, MD, clinical lead for Hospital at Home and Care After Discharge. “Our ability to concentrate resources on this program during the shutdown accelerated our capabilities and demonstrated the high demand for these services. I can easily imagine us caring for 1,000 patients through Care After Discharge each month.”

High Demand for In-Home Care

In all, Virtua anticipates record-setting patient volumes for both Hospital at Home and Care After Discharge in 2025. Currently, the two programs are up 75% over 2024, with several weeks remaining in the year.

“On any given day, we care for as many people in their homes as we do in our five hospitals—and sometimes more,” said John Matsinger, DO, MBA, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Virtua Health. “I am glad we can serve the ever-growing number of people who prefer and benefit from receiving care services at home.”

“We are dedicated to flexible, human-centered care,” added Dr. Ortega. “While we paused Hospital at Home as mandated, we did not pause our innovation and commitment to our patients. Our in-home care capabilities represent the next chapter in healthcare delivery.”