April 29, 2020 For Immediate Release
COVID-19 Response: Vital Care Home Infusion Pharmacies Helping Hospitals Transfer Patients to
Their Homes to Meet Growing Demand for Critical Healthcare Services
Meridian, MS, April 29, 2020 -- Vital Care (vitalcareinc.com) Home Infusion Services is helping hospitals and clinics
care for patients who need IV infusion or other medical services that can be provided in the home. By
transitioning patients back home from hospitals and doctors’ offices, Vital Care is providing a critical
service by reducing the burden in these unprecedented times. As the premier provider of home
infusion services, Vital Care’s unique franchise model offers the benefits of locally owned and
operated locations that are supported by a national office staff of specialists in pharmacy, nursing,
quality management, and insurance approvals, billing, and payment
Each Vital Care franchise location is a pharmacy-based patient care organization with expertise in
sterile drug compounding that provides care to patients with acute or chronic conditions generally
pertaining to parenteral administration of drugs, biologics, and nutritional mixes administered through
catheters and/or needles. Vital Care provides comprehensive professional pharmacy services, care
coordination, infusion nursing services, supplies, and equipment.
“Fortunately, we have been proactively expanding our reach and market share for the last several
years, giving us the infrastructure to continue meeting increased demand,” said Johnny Bell,
president and founder of Vital Care, Inc. “We are committed now more than ever to utilizing our
capacity and expertise to help people across the country who can benefit from home infusion.”
Primary treatments include TPN and enteral nutrition, anti-infective therapy, hydration, inotropic
therapy, immunotherapy, pain management, hemophilia services, and specialty medications. “Vital
Care corporate provides us access to clinical and administrative experts in healthcare, they secure
drugs and supplies from pharmaceutical companies, and they handle all of the insurance and billing
aspects of this complex business,” said one of the local franchise owners. This business model frees
up the local pharmacist-owners to work directly with doctors, nurses, case managers, and home
health agencies to transition patients to the home setting.
While Vital Care’s local franchise locations serve on the frontlines to treat patients in their
communities with the support from the corporate office, Vital Care’s administrative team also is
working behind the scenes with the National Home Infusion Association (NHIA) and other groups to
promote new legislation that would expand access to home infusion treatments for patients who need
intravenous (IV) medications, but do not otherwise need to be hospitalized. Currently Medicare only
covers a limited set of drug therapies for home infusion reimbursement, while most private insurance
payors cover a more comprehensive list of home infusion treatments. Now is the time, during the
COVID-19 crisis, for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to expand coverage for
home infusion, as it has become clear that this is the best path forward for so many patients who
need to stay safe at home.
“There is already a comprehensive infrastructure and support system in place to make sure that
home infusion can happen safely,” said Logan E. Davis, PharmD, MBA, the director of franchise
development for Vital Care Home Infusion Services and chairman of the Board for the National Home
Infusion Association. “Our home infusion pharmacies across the country have implemented screening
protocols and best practices to ensure that, when necessary, nurses are able to safely go into the
home and administer infusions and leave without risking spread of the virus. And the vast majority of
infusion drugs do not require a nurse to be in the home for every day of their administration.”
One very practical example of this is IV antibiotics for conditions patients may have like a skin
infection requiring two weeks of infusions. “This is a therapy that is self-administered by patients
every day, all over the country, and paid for by private insurers,” Dr. Davis said. “This is one of the big
gaps that Medicare has long had, and that we as an industry have been encouraging them to
address. Virtually every other payor has a benefit that reimburses home infusion providers for every
day of infusion, and this public health emergency demonstrates why it is so important for Medicare to
step up to the plate.”
Ed Eiland, CEO of Vital Care, Inc. said, “I was a hospital-based pharmacist for 15 years prior to
joining Vital Care. We had so many patients who could have been served in the home instead of
staying in the hospital. I can tell you unequivocally that home infusion is the right solution for patients
completing their intravenous medication therapies for acute illness as well as those individuals with
chronic conditions. The coronavirus has put an added emphasis on this, and we are encouraged to
see so many people now realizing that. Vital Care has strong ties to health care professionals within
hospitals and clinics, so we come alongside them to make this work well for everyone, most
importantly the patients.”
Patients, physicians, nurses, and hospital administrators can rely on Vital Care to be with them
through the entire five-step process for receiving home infusion. This includes: 1) patient
consultation; 2) insurance authorization; 3) therapy verification; 4) patient and healthcare provider
support; and 5) follow-up with everyone involved.
About Vital Care, Inc.
Vital Care is the premier pharmacy franchise business for home infusion services. Our passion since 1986 is improving the lives of patients and healthcare professionals through locally owned franchise locations across the United States. We have over 60 franchised pharmacies across two dozen states.