Aspirus Home Medical sees nine times greater utilization of home oxygen therapy
By HME News Staff
Updated 11:10 AM CST, Mon February 7, 2022
WAUSAU, Wis. – Aspirus Home Medical Equipment has seen a steep increase in patients requiring home oxygen therapy due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The company has reported the number of new oxygen patients spiked to 172 in January of this year compared to about 40 new patients per month earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic and about 20 per month prior to the pandemic.
“Pre-pandemic to today, we’re seeing nine times greater utilization of our oxygen concentrators,” said Cindy Rider, vice president of post-acute care for Aspirus Health. “We also have noticed that 81% of those utilizing (home oxygen therapy) are unvaccinated.”
Overall, Aspirus Health has seen its daily census for home care services increase from about 500 to 800, on average, during the pandemic.
Aspirus Health is a nonprofit, community directed health system with 13 hospitals in Wisconsin and four hospitals in upper Michigan and 75 clinics. The system, which employs about 11,000, also offers services in home health and hospice care, pharmacy, critical care and aid-medical transport, medical goods and nursing.
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