A Note From The RVNA & Hospice CEO

Carol Wood, R.N., CEO
As the only Not-for-Profit home health and hospice agency located in the Hemet-San Jacinto Valley, Ramona VNA & Hospice is committed to providing quality care to the patients we serve. One of the best indicators for someone evaluating a home health or hospice agency is whether or not the agency has achieved accreditation.

The Community Health Accreditation Program, Inc. (CHAP) is an independent, non-profit accrediting body.  It was the first accrediting body for community-based health care organizations in the United States and was created in 1965 as a joint venture between the American Public Health Association (APHA) and the National League for Nursing (NLN).  These organizations brought to fruition the futuristic view that accreditation was the needed mechanism for recognizing excellence in community health practice. In 1988, CHAP became a separately incorporated, non-profit subsidiary of the NLN under the CHAP name.  In 2001, it was spun-off by the NLN and became an independent, non-profit corporation.
CHAP was granted “deeming authority” by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in 1992 for home health and in 1999, for hospice. This means that instead of state surveys, CHAP has regulatory authorization to survey agencies providing home health and hospice services, to determine whether they meet the Medicare Conditions of Participation (CoPs). In 2006, CMS granted CHAP full deeming authority for Home Medical Equipment (HME). Recently RVNA & Hospice received CHAP Accreditation following a very comprehensive review of the Agency, which objectively validates the excellence of community health care practice through a consistent measurement of the delivery of quality services.

As discussed in our Podcast with a CHAP surveyor following the survey process, few agencies in the country meet the National Standards as identified in the CHAP guidelines (Listen to the Podcast interview HERE). She commented that most people look for good quality of care but don’t know how to evaluate it. She said people should look for CHAP designation when selecting an agency; because CHAP accreditation means the agency provides high quality of care and meets National Standards. She further commented that many start up companies, new to communities, don’t provide good quality, which is bad for the community.

Comments during the survey by members of the survey team included… that our (Agency) was, “in the top 5% of Agencies I have surveyed in the country”; that “if I lived in this area I would want to work here”; and finally after evaluating our quality improvement process stated, “your patients and their families are very pleased about your agency and the quality you provide”.

Our agency success is directly related to the efforts of the entire staff. Leadership directs the orchestra, but it is the entire team that makes the music. Please join me in congratulating the staff and leadership for their excellence, and Ramona VNA & Hospice on their receipt of CHAP Accreditation.

Hospice Providers and Patient’s Primary Physicians

Study Finds that Dying Patients and Families Suffer from Lack of Continuity of Physician Care: NHPCO Stresses the Importance of Continued Involvement between Hospice Providers and Patient’s Primary Physicians

( Alexandria , Va ) – In study published in March 9 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers found that patients and families can suffer from feelings of abandonment when a physician who had been actively involved in care is no longer involved. Additionally, when there was no continuity between care providers, a lack of closure following the patient’s death was found among families as well as the referring physicians and their staff.

National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization wants to emphasize the importance of the primary physician’s ongoing involvement with a patient and family once a person has been referred and made the transition to hospice care.
“There are certainly challenges in maintaining ongoing communication between referring physicians and hospice providers, but this study demonstrates that there is a need,” said J. Donald Schumacher, NHPCO president/CEO NHPCO. “Having a process in place that enables all parties to stay connected and informed is critically important in keeping the patient at the heart of care. In fact, regulations require it.”

In the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services conditions of participation (CoPs) for Medicare certified hospice providers, involvement of the primary physician is indicated. Current CoPs require that the hospice interdisciplinary group complete the patient’s initial comprehensive assessment in consultation with the individual’s attending physician (if any) within five days of the election of hospice. And the care plan developed by the hospice team must be done in consultation with the patient’s attending physician.

As healthcare providers continue to work on creating a more seamless continuum of care from diagnosis through hospice, the need for patients and families to feel supported is critically important. “All physicians who have cared for a person during a life-limiting illness should continue to be a part of the patient’s journey at the end of life. While the primary physician’s role will change, his or her involvement should not stop when hospice starts,” Schumacher noted. Recognizing the importance of supporting families, hospices offer bereavement services to family members for a year after the death of their loved one.

For more information about hospice, palliative care and advance care planning, please visit NHPCO’s Caring Connections Web site or call the HelpLine at 800/658-8898.

Contact:
Jon Radulovic
NHPCO, Vice President of Communications
Ph: 703-837-3139

A Note From The RVNA & Hospice CEO

Millions of Americans rely on hospice agencies to provide themselves or their loved ones with compassionate, end-of-life care that enhances their quality of life. The services that Ramona VNA & Hospice offers addresses the physical, spiritual, emotional and practical needs of the terminally ill. More than 1.3 million terminally ill Americans received care from hospice providers last year, a number that continues to rise. During calendar year 2007 RVNA & Hospice was proud to serve 1231 hospice patients, equaling over 51,000 patient visits from nursing, physician, social service and bereavement staff.

A recent Gallup poll found that nine out of 10 Americans, if faced with a terminal illness, would want to remain in their homes to receive the services that hospice provides. More than 80 percent of hospice care in the United States is currently provided in the home. At Ramona VNA & Hospice, 74% of our patients receive treatment in their own homes, with the balance receiving care in a skilled nursing facility or assisted living center.

Considered to be the model for high-quality care for the terminally ill, hospice focuses on caring, not curing, and in most cases care is provided in the patient home. The hospice professionals are expert in providing pain and symptom management for the dying, with 84% of the RVNA & Hospice nurses holding Hospice Nursing Certification, as compared to only 17% of nurses at hospice agencies nationally. Additionally, both RVNA & Hospice physicians, Dr. Leslee Cochrane and Dr. Leslie Stevens, are Hospice and Palliative Care Certified.

In addition to providing patient care services, Ramona VNA & Hospice is dedicated to “giving back” to our community. During 2007 Ramona VNA & Hospice provided over 350 hours of free community education. Classes included Diabetes Education, Advanced Directives, Dementia Care and Hospice & Living Options. Through our Bridge Program, our staff works directly with members of our community providing referral information for a variety of community services. Additionally we have sponsored numerous health fairs throughout the community in order to bring service information directly to the public.

It is for these reasons and many more that you should choose Ramona VNA & Hospice to be your agency of choice when you need home health or hospice care.