In recent years, hospitals have established home-care programs to provide care on a continuum, meeting needs in the hospital and home setting, whichever is most appropriate and efficient in response to defined patient needs. Hospital-based home-care programs with specialization in perinatal nursing have been established to meet the care needs of patients and their families during antepartum, postpartum, and neonatal periods. One of the greatest advantages of a hospital-based program is the internal availability of highly knowledgeable and skilled nursing staff. Physicians are more likely to refer patients to a program that is staffed with nurses they know and trust from the hospital setting. More cost-effective and coordinated care is achieved through the appropriate use of resources across the continuum.