By DoM Communications | Date published: November 4, 2025
UMass Hospital at Home Program Paused Amid Government Shutdown
As a result of the government shutdown in Massachusetts, many statewide organizations and programs have been suspended. At UMass Memorial, the Hospital at Home Program is among those forced to pause as Congress works to find a resolution. “On September 30, the Hospital at Home Program officially paused, and we began moving patients back to the medical center,” said Constantinos Michaelidis, MD, MBA, MS, Medical Director of the Hospital at Home Program and assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Hospital Medicine. The UMass Hospital at Home Program allows patients to receive hospital-level care from the comfort of their own space, specifically for those recovering from short-term (acute) illnesses such as skin infections, the flu, worsening heart failure, or kidney problems.
According to Dr. Michaelidis, since the suspension of the Hospital at Home Program, physicians and other medical personnel have been redeployed to areas of UMass where clinical assistance is needed most. Although Hospital at Home physicians can contribute to patient care in other ways, the suspension of the Hospital at Home Program presents its own set of challenges. “It’s hard now because our Hospital at Home patients are not receiving their care from their usual providers,” said Dr. Michaelidis. “Patients are being boarded in the ED, and although they are still receiving the care they need, it is not the experience we want for our patients.” Dr. Michaelidis added that transferring Hospital at Home patients back to the hospital creates additional strain on the overall census, as the emergency department continues to care for many patients each day.
“We hope that the government opens back up soon. We have been speaking to the media and congressional delegation, expressing our concerns to open back up as soon as possible,” said Dr. Michaelidis.
Hear from Dr. Michaelidis and learn more about the effects of the shutdown.