Peter Carlson Joins Lifespark to Tackle Emergency Room Overuse by Bringing Urgent Response Services to Seniors at Home

MINNEAPOLIS, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Peter Carlson, a leader in mobile acute care, has joined Lifespark as Vice President, Acute Response Services. He will apply his nearly 20 years' experience in paramedicine and health care management by building the architecture for an Urgent Response Service (URS) into Lifespark's flagship product, Lifespark COMPLETE.

"High utilization of the hospital system continues to have a rippling effect on the work we and others in health care face. The biggest area of over usage can be found in the emergency room (ER) where more than 50% of visits are unnecessary," explained Carlson. "For seniors especially, visiting the ER shouldn't be the default alternative when issues arise in between provider visits and yet, it is."

There's been growing market demand to integrate ER or more urgent-level care into value-based efforts. "The work being done within value-based care has shown greater success in keeping people home and avoiding unnecessary and unplanned ER visits," said Joel Theisen, BSN, RN, Lifespark CEO. "It's a natural integration within our Lifespark COMPLETE product. Focusing on preventing unnecessary ER or hospital visits is a key area we can influence."

According to Carlson, the true differentiator of Lifespark's Urgent Response Services (URS) is the ability to know the member. "With ER and urgent care clinics, the providers don't often know the senior or have time to ask the deep questions that matter, but we do including a clear understanding of their contingency plans," said Carlson.  

As emergency rooms across the United States continue to hit capacity, the addition of URS fills a much-needed gap for Minnesota seniors. "This isn't about ER avoidance," said Carlson. "We know that seniors often can be better served at home where we become the eyes and ears. We want the ER to be used for true emergencies and support how we address the overuse that is currently happening. The focus shouldn't be on measuring days in the hospital seniors but measuring how often they aren't. I'm excited to put my expertise and passion towards solving this."

Lifespark's Urgent Response Team can provide 80% of what is done in the ER at home. "From x-rays, lab work, and EKGs, to sutures, our team of LPNs, RNs, and community paramedics can keep seniors out of the hospital through in-person visits including telehealth options, and support transitions to the hospital if it's needed," shared Carlson. "It's an honor and a privilege to be invited into a person's home. It's much better than waiting in an ER for 6+ hours exposing them to more things that can cause harm."

Before joining Lifespark, Carlson was Chief of Paramedicine for Medically Home, Community Paramedic Coordinator/Operations Manager for Mayo Clinic, and Community Paramedic Administrator for North Memorial Health. He holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Finance from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota, a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Healthcare Management from the same university, and a degree in Community Paramedicine from Hennepin Technical College.

About Lifespark

Lifespark, formerly Lifesprk, is a complete senior health company headquartered in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. Lifespark's global risk model is proven to reduce total cost and improve outcomes. It provides a flexible, home-based delivery system that meets clients where they are using an integrated tech platform that seamlessly combines capabilities, data, and client experience. This scalable approach has few fixed costs and a clear path to grow. For more on Lifespark, visit: www.lifespark.com

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Meaghan Puglisi, 952-873-738, [email protected]

SOURCE Lifespark