Dr. George Taler

Getting Care Where I’m Most Comfortable—Medical House Call Program

The below entry by Arnold Goldberger, Washington, D.C., was originally published on the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services blog.

One day in October, my wife Avriel fell and suffered a stroke. Fortunately, a nurse practitioner from MedStar Washington Hospital Center’s Medical House Call Program quickly arrived at our home. Nurse Genet Taye evaluated Avriel’s condition and consulted with our doctor by phone. They determined that she didn’t need to go to the emergency room that evening, but could remain comfortable at home until the next morning.

Dr. George Taler, a co-founder of the Medical House Call program, helped me advocate for my wife throughout her hospitalization. He always had time to talk with my daughter and me. He never seemed to be in a rush.

As Medicare patients, my wife and I were able to join the Hospital Center’s Medical House Call program. This program is one of 14 sites of the Independence at Home Demonstration under the Affordable Care Act’s Innovation Center housed in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The demonstration, which is the same model of care as the Medical House Call program, is designed to bring quality health care to frail seniors on Medicare in the comfort of their homes and avoid the more costly care in emergency rooms and hospitals. I am not enrolled in the Independence at Home Demonstration because I have not been hospitalized in the last year, which is a good thing, but that’s a criterion for the demonstration. Still the quality and type of primary care I am receiving at home is the same as for those Medical House Call patients who are enrolled and being studied in the demonstration.

We both got first class care through Medical House Call. But sadly after 65 years of marriage, Avriel passed away last year.

I’m still a patient in the program. I’m 89 and when I have a health problem or question, I don’t like being unable to reach a doctor. I don’t like going to the emergency room unless it’s absolutely necessary. And I’d prefer a doctor who knows geriatric medicine.

MedStar Washington Hospital Center has two House Call teams that include physicians, nurse practitioners and social workers. Drs. Taler and Eric De Jonge, who lead their teams, are geriatricians. I know I can reach the team on a 24/7 basis and get quality care.

Genet comes regularly once a month to check out my vitals, and to make sure I have the correct medications and in the right order. You’d think she doesn’t trust me! And I get a copy of her notes.

Dr. De Jonge, who’s also a co-founder of Medical House Call, comes at least once every three months. And I always insist they stay for lunch.

When my wife sprained her ankle, the nurse was there within the hour; Dr. De Jonge said she needed X-rays, so a technician came to our home within 20 minutes with a mobile, digital X-ray machine.

When my eyes started to tear up and turn red recently, Genet was with another patient but she arrived at my door in half an hour. She evaluated my condition and gave me a prescription for an ointment.

They kept my wife and me out of the ER numerous times. And if I have to go to the hospital, all of my records are there. No fuss, no muss. The teams have mobile, wireless access to my electronic health records, and that means the doctors can view accurate information and the teams are well-briefed on my situation. 

You can find out more about the Independence at Home Demonstration here. You can even learn how they’re reducing Medicare costs as well as meeting quality measures, like reducing hospital readmissions, admission rates for patients with serious chronic illnesses, and ER visits.

For me, the Medical House Call program is on my speed dial.

Have any questions?

We are here to help! Click here for more information about the program. Or call us at 202-877-3627.

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