Patient finds comfort and healing with VCU Health Hospital at Home
With one-on-one care at home, Melissa Earley says she was treated like more than 'just a patient.'
February 09, 2026
In between daily visits from VCU Health’s Hospital at Home team, Melissa Earley recovered from a respiratory virus at home with her partner and two dogs, Sebastian (Golden Retriever) and Tobias (Black Lab). (Contributed photos)
By Joan Tupponce and Sara McCloskey-Nieves
Nonstop coughing. Trouble breathing. Melissa Earley and her partner were both sick. As a longtime paramedic and nurse, she knew she couldn’t take care of this illness on her own.
After being admitted to VCU Medical Center’s emergency department in July 2025, Melissa and her partner found out that human metapneumovirus (HMPV) was to blame.
“It is a rough virus for your body. HMPV wiped me out. Since I had cancer, my immune system was not responding quickly,” Melissa said.
A few days into their hospital stay, Melissa’s partner was discharged.
“I felt horrible physically and now I was an emotional wreck worrying about her being home alone,” she said.
When Melissa was approached about considering VCU Health Hospital at Home (HaH), she immediately said, “Let’s do this.”
Hospital at Home was like a relief. I remember sinking into my recliner and feeling a wave of relief. When I saw my dogs, I burst out crying.
Melissa Earley, VCU Health patient
Melissa heard about the HaH program while on the academic medical center campus. She’s very involved at VCU, as both a medical professional and a patient. When she was diagnosed with breast cancer, Melissa received care from VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center. She is also a clinical instructor with VCU’s Center for Trauma and Critical Care Education and teaches a variety of courses offered by the to VCU Health team members, VCU students and the general public.
“There [are studies] that say people do better in their own surroundings,” Melissa explained, noting that she has read research on HaH programs. “When they are sleeping, they heal better. When they are less stressed, they heal better. There are no interruptions during the night.”
VCU Health HaH has been providing acute inpatient care in the comfort of a patient’s home since its founding in 2023. This evidence-based model of care has been practiced internationally for decades and more recently in the United States. VCU Health is the first hospital in Central Virginia to offer this type of care at home.
“If you need to be admitted to the hospital and you are not in the intensive care unit, you can probably get this care,” said Julia Breton, M.D., co-medical director of VCU Health HaH. “We have a screening team that uses well-developed medical and social screening to see if patients are eligible.”
Melissa Earley is a clinical instructor with VCU’s Center for Trauma and Critical Care Education. (Contributed photos)
After a thorough assessment, patients can be transferred to their home directly from the VCU emergency department or an inpatient unit.
Those who use these services are oftentimes immunocompromised or are at risk of developing other infections during a traditional inpatient hospital stay. That includes Melissa, who became immunocompromised after her breast cancer treatments.
According to Breton, one of the benefits to HAH programs is that patients show lower rates of infection when they are treated at home.
“You don’t get MRSA (a potentially hospital-acquired infection), from your living room,” Breton said. She also noted that the program is seeing lower rates of delirium, changes in your mental status that can happen when you are sick and under stress in a hospital.
How VCU Health Hospital at Home provides one-on-one medical care
As Melissa waited in the medical transport vehicle, she felt better every mile closer to home.
“Hospital at Home was like a relief. I remember sinking into my recliner and feeling a wave of relief. When I saw my dogs, I burst out crying,” she said. “Knowing and seeing that my partner was okay in relative terms was a big deal for me.”
For about two weeks, Melissa received a variety of health care services, including in-person nurse visits, virtual nurse visits, deliveries of medical equipment, lab work, vital sign monitoring, virtual visits with a physician, visits from consulting specialists and delivered food. When she wasn’t with her care team, Melissa could work on the computer, take a shower or just relax in comfy furniture.
She was impressed that HaH provided everything she needed. It was like being in a hospital, “except I was in my home, and I had my family, my TV and my dogs with me,” she said.
“I could access my care team through a tablet provided by HaH anytime I needed help or had questions,” Melissa said. “I simply tapped the icon, and my assigned nurse would appear on the screen. I could also send text messages through the tablet.”
In a brick-and-mortar hospital, care happens to them. At home, it happens with them. Patients come out of the program more engaged in their health.
Julie Breton, M.D., co-medical director of VCU Health Hospital at Home
There are many advantages of being in a patient’s home environment, said Kelly Smith, R.N, who is part of the HaH care team. By visiting patients at home, she can get a fuller picture of their life, their health and their needs. Decisions patients make with Smith can also involve the whole family.
“I can see and understand their challenges, the dynamics of their support system and so much more when I see them outside of the hospital,” Smith said, adding it would be difficult to learn this type of information in the hospital setting.
Breton finds that patients are much more active at home and take care of simple tasks, like making lunch, which brings a sense of normalcy. Patients are also more involved in their care.
“In a brick-and-mortar hospital, care happens to them. At home, it happens with them,” Breton said. “Patients come out of the program more engaged in their health.”
Seeing the same nurses and doctor every day also made Melissa feel at ease with her care at home. She said the care team reached out between in person visits to see how she was doing and helped with her medication.
“I had continuity, which was important,” she said, adding that her care was personalized, something she greatly appreciated. “Everybody knew me as Melissa instead of just a patient.”
The compassion and skill level of the nurses in the HaH program is “incredible,” Breton said.
Melissa took note of this, too. She thought her care team went above and beyond when she and her partner were both on the mend.
“I had an aide for one shift during the day, and the aide made sure I had lunch and dinner. I felt really comfortable with the people that came,” she said. “They even did some light housework, which was a big part of easing the burden. Neither I nor my partner could do those chores.”
Little moments like this show how VCU Health Hospital at Home allows patients to stay engaged with their families, communities and health.
“There are just so many benefits to recovering in a place where you are more comfortable,” Smith said.
Melissa Early (left) and her partner, Nona (right), both went to VCU Medical Center because of a serious respiratory virus. Instead of staying at the hospital, Melissa was able to return home and receive care through VCU Health Hospital at Home. (Contributed photos)
Hospital at Home: Frequently asked patient questions about how the program works
What is VCU Health Hospital at Home?
Hospital at Home is a program through VCU Medical Center that allows you to be treated for certain medical conditions at home instead of at the hospital. Patients enrolled in this program have virtual doctor visits and two in-person home visits from the medical team each day in addition to 24/7 virtual nursing support.
We also provide any supplies or technology needed, including a tablet, to connect with the care team and monitor vital signs like blood pressure, oxygen, heart rate and temperature. Patients receive all the same care they would get in the brick-and-mortar, but at home. This may include IV treatments, labs, wound care, oxygen, visits from physical therapy, and other hospital services.
Who is eligible for the Hospital at Home program?
If you are an inpatient at VCU Medical Center, our care team can meet with you to see if the Hospital at Home program is the right fit. To qualify, you must:
- Have an illness or symptoms that can be safely and effectively managed outside the hospital by our HaH team.
- Need active hospital-level care.
- Have a low risk of complications.
- Must be in stable condition.
- Live within 25 miles of VCU Medical Center.
If I don’t live near VCU Medical Center, are there other options to join the program?
Yes, there are other options to receive care from Hospital at Home if you do not live within 25 miles of VCU Medical Center. VCU Health works closely with The Doorways, a non-profit near the medical center, which provides lodging and support for patients and their families. Patients can now stay at The Doorways and receive care through Hospital at Home if they meet all of the other eligibility requirements.
What are some of the benefits of Hospital at Home?
Inpatient hospital stays often mean time away from home and family as well as added stress. Research shows that healing at home has a lot of added benefits for patients and their caregivers. Not only do patients have fewer infections and return visits to the hospital, but they also tend to be less anxious, sleep better and are not in as much pain.
