Home Medical Visits | MedStar House Call Program - MedStar Total Elder Care | MedStar Health
Staff from the MedStar Health House Calls program prepare to see patients for the day.

Promoting the health and dignity of frail elders

Many elders struggle with disability and severe chronic illness and have difficulty getting to the doctor’s office. As a result, their health may suffer and lead to unnecessary ER visits, hospitalization, or nursing home care. In 1999, recognizing the needs of such elders and their families, we created the MedStar House Call program - MedStar Total Elder Care to provide full medical and social services that help elders remain in their homes with dignity. These teams now serve Washington, D.C., Baltimore, MD, and Montgomery County.

The MedStar House Call Program - MedStar Total Elder Care is nationally recognized for the quality and outcomes of our care. We serve patients at home with a team of geriatricians, nurse practitioners (NPs), social workers, office nurses, and coordinators. We make routine and urgent house calls (in-person or via telehealth with video or audio-only phone visits). Our medical staff is also available by phone 24/7 for urgent issues. We provide access to state-of-the-art hospital and specialty care. Additionally, our physician team follows our patients if and when they are admitted to the MedStar Washington Hospital Center.

The House Call program serves our neighbors in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Montgomery County.

MedStar House Call Program 

(operating under MedStar Total Elder Care, LLC) 

play button

Our program services

  • Medical house calls and primary care by doctors and nurse practitioners with expertise in the care of older adults

  • Counseling and caregiver support by social workers and team staff

  • We offer tests and treatments at-home, and at the hospital as needed

  • Home delivery of most medications and equipment

  • Coordination of specialist care at MedStar Washington Hospital, MedStar Montgomery Medical Center, or MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital

  • Coordination of home nursing, rehab therapy, and hospice

  • Coordination of support services such as home aides and legal assistance

  • On-call physicians: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (by phone)

  • Mobile electronic health record (EHR)

  • D.C. Neighborhood only – Case management for Medicaid Elderly Persons with Disabilities (EPD) Waiver

Hospital care and specialists

Our team coordinates emergency, hospital, and specialty care at MedStar Washington Hospital, MedStar Montgomery Medical Center, and MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital. Patients may keep their previous specialist doctors; we work with them as needed. We refer to MedStar Good Samaritan, MedStar Montgomery, MedStar Washington, for home-based podiatry or other new specialist care. If House Call patients require hospitalization, and 911 is not needed, our team can arrange transportation and admission to MedStar Good Samaritan, MedStar Montgomery, or MedStar Washington when beds are available.

Social work services

Our dedicated team of social workers provides:

  • Psychosocial assessment

  • Care Coordination

  • Development of a care plan

  • Information and referral to community resources and supports

  • Caregiver education, support, and counseling

  • Advocacy

  • Crisis intervention

  • Assistance with identifying alternative living arrangements, as needed

Eligibility

Enrollment and insurance

To qualify for the MedStar House Call Program, patients must:

  • Be 65 years or older and have difficulty getting to the doctor’s office

  • Have Medicare, Medicaid, or another participating insurance plan

  • Stop seeing their previous primary doctor and agree to have us take on that role following the first visit

  • Live in a qualifying ZIP code

Our office is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday - Friday.

When calling about new patient enrollment, please have the following information:

  • Patient's name, address, telephone number

  • Patient's date of birth and social security number

  • Patient's next of kin and emergency contact information

  • Patient's health insurance information (including type and group number)

  • Patient's current medical conditions and concerns

  • Ability to retrieve patient's recent medical records

  • Baltimore neighbors, print and complete our Intake Questionnaire form

As in most doctor's offices, your main health insurance (such as Medicare) covers 80 percent of House Call visit fees, and any secondary insurance covers the other 20 percent. The patients who do not have any secondary insurance are responsible for the 20 percent co-pay.

View the map below to check if you live in a qualifying ZIP code. Call our Washington, D.C., or Baltimore location to confirm MedStar House Call Program eligibility at your exact address.

Washington, D.C.,

Geriatric House Call service area map for Washington DC
Baltimore region
Geriatric House Call service area map for Baltimore.

Montgomery County

Geriatric House Call service area map for Montgomery County Maryland.

Our team

Washington, D.C., region team - 202-877-0570

A group of doctors, nurses and staff from the MedStar Health geriatric house calls program pose for a group photo in an office lobby.

Physicians
Eric De Jonge, MD, – Section Director
Guy (Binny) Chang, MD

Nurse Practitioners
Nancy Sassa, CRNP - Chief
Alexandra (Caitlin) Geary, CRNP
Michelle Sullivan, CRNP

Office Nurse
Kendel Ogbeab, RN

Social Workers
Gretchen Nordstrom, LICSW - Chief
Kellie Jones, LICSW
Ruth Shea, LICSW

Operations Manager
Isi Koroma

Care Coordinators
LaWanda Holeman
Sandra Mills
Carrie Carmon
Yvette Williams

Baltimore region team – 443-444-6100

Group photo of physicians from MedStar Health's geriatric medicine team in Baltimore.

Physicians
George Taler, MD
Sharareh Badri, MD

Nurse Practitioner
Dorothy Were, CRNP
Adama Panda, CRNP

Nurse
Nerland Dimanche, RN, MSN

Social Worker
Marina Nellius, LMSW

Operations Director
Shereen Greene, MBA

Care Coordinator
Taurshica Lee

Operational support

Executive Director
George Hennawai, MD

AVP Operations
Julie Beecher, MS, MPH

Montgomery County - 301-570-7400

Diane Ng

Diane Ng, DNP, CRNP

Contact us

Baltimore Neighborhood

To learn more about our services in the Baltimore region, call us today at 443-444-6100

Montgomery County Neighborhood

To learn more about our services in the Montgomery County region, call us today at 301-570-7400

Washington, D.C., Neighborhood

To learn more about our services in the Washington, D.C., region, call us today at 202-877-0570