How PACE Helped Us

We enrolled a bed bound participant in February who had not left her hospital bed in six or seven years. One of her goals in joining our program was to be able to see her apartment again.

She has been getting rehab in her home from our team since early last month and today with the support of our physical therapist, occupational therapist and patient care techs, she was able to sit on the edge of her bed for the first time in years. I think it is an incredible testament to what can be done with PACE, and I am thankful for your partnership in making this happen.

One of our very first PACE participants was enrolled just a few years after turning 65. She came to us with a variety of chronic conditions, as is the case with many participants, and also Substance Use Disorder, significant challenges with walking, an extremely hunched posture, and many wounds. Within her first two months she had visited the emergency department for an overdose, but after this visit, she agreed with the PACE team to finally proceed with receiving Medication Assisted Recovery and joining LCHC’s recovery community.

After recently completing her 180-day care plan, she noted incredible progress toward her health goals. By consistently participating in the recovery programming, she’s reduced her need for medication assisted recovery medication while sticking with her recovery goals. She’s also significantly improved her posture and gait with help from the LCHC PACE physical and occupational therapists. She is able to walk with minimal support and excellent upright posture. She hasn’t had an emergency department visit in nearly 6 months. Her wounds are all clear after receiving consistent transportation and support attending wound treatment visits. Her progress has been inspiring for our PACE team. Her work towards her health goals has demonstrated the efficacy of the PACE program to not just address usual chronic health conditions but to also help patients with complex behavioral health needs work towards stable, healthy outcomes.

A 70-year-old participant with an ongoing history of hospitalizations and stays in skilled nursing facilities has seen improvements in his health and overall well-being thanks to OSF PACE.

Our organization was originally contacted while the potential enrollee was still in skilled care, prior to discharge to home health. Upon joining the OSF PACE program in October 2024, the participant had multiple chronic, unhealed wounds and struggled to manage his care.

Because he lives alone and does not drive or have any immediate family support, he began attending adult day center programming. He also began receiving regular wound care while getting nutrition advice and dietitian-tailored meals to improve his ability to heal.

In the three months this participant has been receiving care through OSF PACE, he has made remarkable progress in closing his existing wounds and maintaining overall skin integrity. In addition, he has not had any emergency episodes and has been able to avoid an extensive vascular surgery procedure thanks to the comprehensive, team-based care offered though OSF PACE.

He continues to be a regular participant in adult day activities, which have had a positive impact by offering socialization opportunities and helping to reduce his smoking habit. The smiles and joy he’s expressed since enrolling are notable. The participant’s specialist wound care and vascular team are confident that OSF PACE has changed the participant’s life. During the Spring, following an incredible period of health and healing progress, this participant began to mow his yard a couple passes at a time and walk on his own to the corner store down his street on nice days.

In February of 2025 OSF PACE partnered with the state to do a rushed enrollment of a very medically fragile individual into PACE effective March 1st. The patient was physically unable to exit her second-floor apartment and was suffering from severe wounds on her leg. At the time of enrollment, it was uncertain if the leg could be saved. Shortly after enrolling, the PACE pharmacist made a house call to deliver medication to the participant’s apartment only to discover that hours earlier she had learned that her adult son had committed suicide.

The pharmacist responded to the situation in real time by attempting to console the participant and rallying members of the PACE team, including social work and pastoral care to provide emotional support. Shortly after this traumatic situation OSF coordinated with a local fire department to help the participant out of her home and did a direct admit to Saint Francis Medical Center for a surgical intervention. Using a first of its kind in the United States procedure, an OSF surgeon was able to intervene and begin the process of saving the participant’s leg.