University Hospitals partners with Luna for in-home physical therapy

A new collaboration between University Hospitals and Luna, a physical therapy provider, will give patients with an opportunity to receive in-person, outpatient services from their homes.  

The program, known as University Hospitals Physical Therapy At Home, will connect UH patients with a Luna therapist, who will come to the patient’s home for an in-person physical therapy appointment, according to a news release issued Tuesday, Oct. 25, by the healthcare system.

Related: University Hospitals CFO to retire, transition plan unveiled

The same therapist will treat a patient for the duration of their treatment plan, and patients and therapists will be able to communicate between visits. Patients will be matched with a therapist based on factors such as specialty, schedule, location and other factors. 

The service will be available to residents without a referral and be covered by most major insurances with the same co-pay cost as facility-based care. It will start accepting appointments Dec. 1, a spokesperson for the healthcare system confirmed.

“By partnering with Luna, we are reducing barriers to access high quality, convenient physical therapy direct to a patient’s home,” said Bill Benoit, chief operating officer of the UH South Market, in a statement. “Patients appreciate flexibility when it comes to scheduling appointments, and we look forward to meeting patients where they are in their care journey through this innovative collaboration.”

Luna is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. The provider has a network of more than 3,000 therapists in 50 metropolitan markets across 27 states. It has partnerships with Providence, Emory Healthcare, Intermountain Healthcare and Scripps Health to offer outpatient physical therapy services.

Not a Modern Healthcare subscriber? Sign up today.

Patients can request physical therapy through Luna's app and then schedule a 45-to-55-minute appointment at the patient’s home.  

In a statement, Palak Shah, co-founder and head of clinical operations at Luna, said healthcare systems are looking to partner with the company to take their physical therapy offerings beyond their facilities and offer convenience to patients. 

This story first appeared in Crain's Cleveland Business.