Tivity Health and DispatchHealth Partner to Provide Patient Nutrition Support

Nashville, TN—Tivity Health^® (Nasdaq: TVTY), a leading provider of nutrition, fitness and social engagement solutions, today announced a new partnership with DispatchHealth, a provider of technology-enabled in-home health care, to deliver healthy, convenient meals for DispatchHealth patients. The new service will initially be offered in the Denver metro area for patients returning home after a hospitalization, those that are hospitalized in their home or for the most vulnerable patients with food insecurity.
DispatchHealth clinicians will perform in-person assessments of each patient’s nutritional support needs. In coordination with DispatchHealth, Tivity Health will deliver customized Wisely Well™ meals directly to the patient’s home within two business days, for up to five days of meals per shipment.
DispatchHealth offers on-demand acute care, and its Advanced Care and Extended Care services for patients, utilizing board-certified medical teams to treat common to complex injuries and illnesses for people of all ages in the comfort of their own home.
Wisely Well pre-packaged meal options are developed by nutritionists to be well-balanced, heart-healthy, nutrient-rich options for older adults. Meal bundles are specially formulated to meet older adults’ dietary needs and are designed to support those recovering after a hospitalization, living with chronic conditions or experiencing food insecurity.
“Healthy nutrition is key to supporting individuals who are discharged from the hospital and returning to their homes to ensure a full recovery and prevent readmission,” said Robert J. Greczyn, Jr., Interim Chief Executive Officer of Tivity Health. “We’re very proud to be partnering with DispatchHealth, who is providing the kind of personalized care that the most vulnerable patients need to overcome the kinds of serious health issues that also drive up healthcare costs. We’re excited to support their efforts and improve the health of patients in need of quality meals and nutritional support.”
Hospital readmissions cost Medicare $26 billion annually, with about $17 billion spent on avoidable hospital trips due to malnutrition after discharge. With the partnership, Tivity Health will be able to complement the high-touch, in-home healthcare experience offered by DispatchHealth with a nutrition solution that is healthy, convenient and affordable for patients.
“Our services offer a personalized approach to high acuity healthcare in the home by not only treating their acute medical problems but also being uniquely positioned to intervene on important identified gaps in social determinants of health. We sought a scalable nutrition solution to meet our patient’s needs in a timely manner,” said Kevin Riddleberger, chief strategy officer and co-founder of DispatchHealth. “We believe nutrition is a key element to the recovery of our patients and ultimately further improving clinical outcomes. We are excited to partner with a forward-thinking organization in Tivity Health to address the most vulnerable and their social needs in the home.”
DispatchHealth currently serves 19 markets across 12 states and is projected to service more than 165,000 patients in 2020. It has been able to avoid more than $200 million in medical expenses by delivering high acuity care safely in the home in order to help patients avoid ER and hospital visits and skilled nursing facility admissions.
While this partnership is currently available for DispatchHealth Advanced Care and Extended Care patients in the Denver metro area, there is potential to expand to additional markets in 2020.