Adventist Health

COVID-19 Patient Receives ‘The Best of Both Worlds’ with Adventist Health Hospital@Home

When the pandemic began, Gabriela Padilla’s first concern was for her parents, who live with her and her son. Their age put them at greater risk for complications, and Padilla’s underlying health conditions were a danger to her as well. When her son got COVID-19, he recovered quickly, but when Padilla got sick, she headed to the Emergency Department at the Adventist Health hospital near her home.

“I must have felt something, because when I left and we were driving [to the hospital], I just broke down. I just started crying, because I had told my son I’d be right back,” said Padilla.

Instead, she was admitted to the hospital and had to call her son to tell him that she wasn’t coming home after all.

At the hospital, Padilla’s focus was on getting well so she could get back home to her family. On day four, after her oxygen level had improved, one of the doctors offered her an option—the Adventist Health Hospital@ Home program. Through this new service, she was able to go home, receive care from a team of doctors and nurses, have her vital signs monitored, and receive in-person visits from a member of her care team. Most importantly, she was back home with her son.

“I think that’s the best part of [receiving care] virtually—it’s like that idea that at least your brain can

When Gabriela Padilla was in the hospital with COVID-19, her focus was on getting back home to her family. turn it off for a moment,” said Padilla. “Even if physically you still have the bracelet, and you still have all of these different things that are 24/7 care, but then you get those moments when you get to turn it off, and my son masks up and he pokes his head in [the doorway]…and that moment of joy of seeing his face that you can’t get at the hospital because you’re so completely isolated.” The Adventist Health Hospital@Home program also provides patients with telehealth monitoring technology and other supplies. Patients receive reports from any laboratory work and have access to mobile imaging, all while staying connected to their care team through a mission control center app and in-home visits. Through Adventist Health Hospital@Home, Padilla said she got to receive “the best of both worlds…this amazing care from people who genuinely make you

Through Adventist Health feel like they want to provide this care for you—they’re happy to do it—and my family. How could you not get Hospital@Home, Padilla said better?” Learn more about Hospital@Home at she got to receive “the best adventisthealth.org/hospital-home and hear more patient stories like Padilla’s at our Adventist Health Story of both worlds.” and Experience website at adventisthealth.org/story. ____________________ By Kim Strobel