NHPCO Celebrates Achievements of Hospice and Palliative Care Providers in Nationwide Quality Connections Program
For Immediate Release
February 13, 2024
Opens Enrollment for the 2024 Program Year
(Alexandria, Va) – The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) recognizes the achievements of participating member organizations who have earned rings in the third program year of NHPCO’s Quality Connections program. First launched in January 2021, Quality Connections (QC) is the only national program designed to support hospice and palliative care provider delivery of high-quality, person-centered care. The program is structured around four fundamental pillars which are represented by four rings: Education, Application, Measurement, and Innovation.
QC participants are required to achieve milestones within defined timeframes by participating in activities such as quarterly data reporting and benchmarking, educational courses, case studies, and engagement on emerging issues such as diversity, access, and inclusion, all of which serve to promote high-quality care delivery and service excellence. Achievement in the program is measured by completing activities within each of the four foundational areas, culminating in the closure of up to four rings.
NHPCO is proud to celebrate participants in the 2023 program year who collectively closed 361 achievement rings. Of the 300 participating programs, 83 organizations earned top recognition as a “four rings” program. Notably, four-ring achievement increased nearly fourfold from 2022, with the number of organizations closing rings increasing by nearly twenty percent and the total rings achieved increasing by eighty-nine percent.
“High-quality care delivery is the cornerstone of any successful hospice or palliative care program. NHPCO is the national leader in supporting providers in continuous quality improvement, and Quality Connections is a core part NHPCO’s quality resources. Providers who participate in the program are constantly evolving to better serve their communities and stay up to date with quality best practices. We look forward to welcoming a new cohort of providers and welcoming back returning providers as we begin the 2024 program year,” said NHPCO Vice President of Quality, Aparna Gupta.
QC is an exclusive NHPCO member benefit. The program cycle resets each year to ensure focused and effective continuous quality improvement. Program year 2024 begins on February 16, 2024 with over twenty-five percent new or updated content since the previous year, including activities related to advocacy and legislative action, survey preparedness, patient safety, and more.
Organizations interested in enrolling in the program can find more information on the Quality Connections webpage to start their quality improvement journey.
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About NHPCO
The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) is the nation’s largest and oldest membership association for providers who care for people affected by serious and life-limiting illness. Our members deliver and expand access to high-quality, person-centered interdisciplinary care to millions of Americans. NHPCO provides education and resources to support that mission. Together with our advocacy partner, the Hospice Action Network (HAN), we serve as the leading voice advancing public policy to improve serious-illness and end-of-life care, while our CaringInfo program provides free resources to educate and empower patients and caregivers. nhpco.org
Press Contact
Elyssa Katz
NHPCO Communications
571-281-0220