For Immediate Release:
May 5, 2021

NHPCO Announces Providers Successfully Earning Quality Connections Rings in First Quarter of 2021

33 hospice providers progress through NHPCO’s innovative quality improvement program

(Alexandria, Va) – The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) is proud to share the organizations that have earned at least one ring in the first quarter of the Quality Connections (QC) program. QC a new program from NHPCO designed to enhance the knowledge base, skills, and competency of hospice and palliative care professionals and providers for continuous quality improvement. QC is structured around four fundamental pillars which are represented by four QC rings: Education, Application, Measurement, and Innovation.

As of April 15, 2021, the following organizations who have earned rings.

Earning both their Education Ring and Application Ring:

Calvert Hospice, Inc.
Heart’s Way Hospice
Hospice of the Chesapeake
Hospice of West Tennessee
UnityPoint at Home
VITAS Healthcare Corporation (Miami, FL)
VNA Hospice and Palliative Care of Southern California

Earning their Education Ring:

Avow Hospice
BSA Hospice of the Southwest
Care Synergy
CentraCare Health Home Care & Hospice
Community Hospice Care
Freedom Hospice
Good Shepherd Hospice
HealthPartners Hospice & Palliative Care
Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo, Inc.
Hospice of Huntington
Hospice of Jackson County, Inc.
Hospice of Limestone County
Hospice of the Panhandle
Inspire Hospice, LLC
Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice
Lakeside Hospice, Inc.
Partners In Home Care-Hospice
Sangre De Cristo Community Care
Seasons Hospice
Tidewell Hospice, Inc.
Topkare Hospice, Inc.
Trellis Supportive Care
UVMHN Home Health & Hospice
Village Hospice
Visiting Nurse Association of NWI
VITAS Healthcare (Tinley Park, IL)

Each Ring has specific activities incorporating practical resources to progressively track and improve both clinical and organizational quality. Activities such as quarterly data reporting and benchmarking, NHPCO’s E-Online courses, peer case studies, and engagement will be part of an organization’s quality journey. Additionally, participants will find activities that are focused on promoting diversity, access and inclusion within your organization and with the communities you serve.

“These providers are demonstrating their commitment to quality patient- and family-centered care. It is not enough to simply say that one is interested in quality; one must step up to demonstrate it. These providers have taken an important step in improving their quality of care. This matters to patients, families, payers and providers,” said NHPCO President and CEO Edo Banach.

QC is a benefit of NHPCO provider membership. For organizations that already have an established quality improvement program, Quality Connections can build on and streamline what they already have in place. If a provider needs to enrich their quality improvement efforts, Quality Connections will provide the guidance and resources they need.

NHPCO provider members can enroll in QC on the NHPCO website. Follow the steps in the Quality Connections User Guide to enroll in the program and to start your quality improvement journey.

NHPCO thanks the Quality Connections Gold Level Sponsors: Curitec and Optum Hospice Pharmacy Services, and Silver Level Sponsor ADVault, Inc. for their support to advance continuous quality improvement.

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Contact:
Jon Radulovic
NHPCO Communications
Direct: 517-412-3973