Quality Connections Quarter 3

For Immediate Release:
November 4, 2021

U.S. Hospices Demonstrate Commitment to Quality through NHPCO’s Quality Connections Program

102 Hospice Programs have Earned Achievement Rings in Third Quarter

(Alexandria, Va) – As November’s National Hospice and Palliative Care Month begins for 2021, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) celebrates the 102 hospice programs that have earned achievement rings as of the third quarter in the inaugural year of NHPCO’s Quality Connections (QC) program. Each ring earned represents a program’s commitment to continuous quality improvement.

NHPCO has created a Quality Connections map of the United States that lists participating hospice programs who have made advances in the Quality Connections program to date.

“November is a time when the hospice and palliative care provider community reaches out to raise awareness and educate the public about the important care they provide within their communities,” said NHPCO President and CEO Edo Banach. “There is no better time to acknowledge hospice programs in the U.S. that are not only providing high-quality, person-centered care, but are committed to continuous program improvement. By earning rings that are part of the Quality Connections program, they are showing that quality matters to those they serve and to the payers and other providers that they work with.”

The four rings are based on foundational pillars:  Education, Application, Measurement, and Innovation. Each Ring has specific activities incorporating practical resources to progressively track and improve both clinical and organizational quality.

“These hospice providers that have earned rings are proving that their commitment to quality is real and is part of their organizational culture,” noted Banach.

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

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

As of the third quarter of 2021, the following Quality Connections participants have earned rings.

Earning Four Rings:

Calvert Hospice, Maryland – (Education, Application, Measurement, Innovation)

Earning Three Rings:

Bluegrass Care Navigators, Kentucky – (Education, Applications, Innovation)
Delaware Hospice, Inc. – Delaware Office – (Education, Applications, Innovation)
Heart’s Way Hospice, Texas – (Education, Applications, Measurement)
MJHS Hospice and Palliative Care Program, New York – (Education, Applications, Innovation)
St. Croix Hospice, Minnesota – (Education, Applications, Innovation)
Suncoast Hospice, Florida – (Education, Applications, Innovation)

 Earning Two Rings:

Agape Hospice Services, Colorado – (Education, Application)
BridgingLife Hospice, Maryland – (Education, Application)
Caring Circle, Michigan – (Education, Application)
Columbus Hospice of Georgia and Alabama, Georgia – (Education, Application)
Goodwin House Palliative Care and Hospice, Virginia – (Education, Application)
Harbor Hospice, Michigan – (Education, Application)
Hope Healthcare, Florida – (Education, Application)
Horizon Hospice LLC, Washington – (Education, Application)
Hospice & Community Care, South Carolina – (Education, Application)
Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo, Inc., New York – (Education, Application)
Hospice of North Idaho, Idaho – (Education, Application)
Hospice of the Chesapeake, Maryland – (Education, Application)
Hospice of the Northwest, Washington – (Education, Application)
Hospice of the Panhandle, West Virginia – (Education, Application)
Hospice of West Tennessee, Tennessee – (Education, Application)
Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice, New Jersey – (Education, Application)
Lakeland Area Hospice, Pennsylvania – (Education, Application)
Lightways Hospice and Serious Illness Care (formerly Joliet Area Community Hospice), Illinois – (Education, Measurement)
Notre Dame Hospice, Massachusetts – (Education, Application)
Partners In Home Care-Hospice, Montana – (Education, Application)
Providence Hospice of Seattle, Washington – (Education, Application)
Providence St. Joseph Health – Home and Community Services, California – (Education, Application)
Sangre De Cristo Community Care, Colorado – (Education, Application)
Serenity Hospice and Home, Illinois – (Education, Application)
The Denver Hospice, Colorado – (Education, Application)
Tidewell Hospice, Inc., Florida – (Education, Application)
Transitions LifeCare, North Carolina – (Education, Application)
Treasure Coast Hospice, Florida – (Education, Application)
Trellis Supportive Care, North Carolina – (Education, Application)
Unity Point Hospice, Iowa – (Education, Application)
UnityPoint at Home, Iowa – (Education, Application)
VITAS Healthcare, Pennsylvania 0 (Education, Application)
VITAS Healthcare Chicago South, Illinois – (Education, Application)
VNA Hospice and Palliative Care of Southern California, California – (Education, Application)
Yolo Hospice, California – Education, Application)

Earning One Ring:

Arizona Care Hospice, Arizona – (Application)
Arkansas Valley Hospice, Inc., Arkansas – (Education)
Avow Hospice, Florida – (Education)
BSA Hospice of the Southwest, Texas – (Education)
Carris Health-Rice Hospice, Minnesota – (Education)
Centra Hospice Farmville, Virginia – (Education)
Centra Hospice of the Hills, Virginia – (Education)
CentraCare Hospice, Minnesota – (Education)
Circle of Life Hospice, Arkansas – (Education)
Community Hospice Care, Alabama – (Education)
East End Hospice, New York – (Education)
Freedom Hospice, Kansas – (Education)
Good Shepherd Hospice , Oklahoma – (Education)
HealthPartners Hospice & Palliative Care, Minnesota – (Education)
High Peaks Hospice & Palliative Care – Mineville, New York – (Education)
HoriSun Hospice, Inc., Nebraska – (Education)
Hospice & Community Care, Pennsylvania – (Education)
Hospice at Home Arizona, Arizona – (Education)
Hospice of Douglas County – A Division of Horizon Public Health, Minnesota – (Education)
Hospice of Dubuque, Iowa – (Education)
Hospice of Hilo dba Hawaii Care Choices, Hawaii – (Education)
Hospice of Humboldt, California – (Education)
Hospice of Huntington, West Virginia – (Education)
Hospice of Jackson County, Inc., Iowa – (Education)
Hospice of Limestone County, Alabama – (Education)
Hospice of Southern West Virginia, Inc., West Virginia – (Education)
Hospice of St. Mary’s, Maryland – (Education)
Hospice of the Ozarks, Arkansas – (Education)
Hospice of the Red River Valley, North Dakota – (Education)
Hospice of Yuma, Arizona – (Education)
Hospice Services of NWKS, Kansas – (Education)
Interim Hospice of the Twin Cities, Minnesota – (Education)
Intrepid USA Healthcare Services, Texas – (Education)
Lakeside Hospice, Inc., Alabama – (Education)
Lakeside Hospice, LLC, Louisiana – (Education)
Main Line Health Home Care and Hospice, Pennsylvania – (Education)
Northern Illinois Hospice, Illinois – (Education)
Pathways, Colorado – (Education)
Presbyterian Homes Hospice, Inc., Minnesota – (Education)
ProMedica Hospice, Ohio – (Education)
Providence TrinityCare Hospice, California – (Education)
Seasons Hospice, Minnesota – (Education)
Snowline Hospice, California – (Education)
Southwest Medical Hospice, Nevada – (Education)
St. Mary High Desert Hospice (formery Living Care Hospice, Inc.), California – (Education)
Tabitha Hospice , Nebraska – (Education)
The Elizabeth Hospice, California – (Education)
Topkare Hospice, Inc., California – (Education)
Trustbridge, Inc., Florida – (Education)
UnityPoint Hospice, Cedar Rapids, Iowa – (Education)
UnityPoint Hospice, Des Moines, Iowa – (Education)
Upland Hills Health Hospice, Wisconsin – (Education)
UVMHN Home Health & Hospice, Vermont – (Education)
Village Hospice, Missouri – (Education)
Visiting Nurse Association of NWI, Indiana – (Education)
Willamette Valley Hospice, Oregon – (Education)

Hospice programs that are not actively engaged in Quality Connections are missing out on a range of tools and resources that support a provider’s efforts to integrate continuous quality improvement throughout their organizations. More information about Quality Connections is available online.

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To learn more about hospice care or for information to help people coping with serious illness, please visit NHPCO’s CaringInfo.org.

Contact:
Jon Radulovic
NHPCO Communications
Ph: 571-412-3973