Traditional care settings such as assisted living, long-term care, and skilled nursing facilities limited the number of visitors in an effort to decrease the spread of the virus. This proved problematic when our designated admissions nurses needed to gain access to a facility but were denied entrance. The role of an admission nurse is to conduct an informational visit that could lead to an admission, or an admission visit if the patient is deemed hospice appropriate once a comprehensive assessment has been conducted.
We Are Community. The People Who Care.
Denying access meant denying people’s right to utilize the hospice benefit.
As our new fiscal year began amidst the pandemic, we were hopeful for the days, weeks, and months ahead. Challenges were met with the seeds of innovation and became opportunities to evolve our business to meet the needs of our patients, their families, and our community. Founded in 1979, we were determined to evolve our best practices to ensure our mission of compassion. Through our early adoption of telehealth and hands-on training, we were able to supplement our admissions process and in-person care when visitation was limited or prohibited in some settings, with the goal of providing the highest quality of care for our patients and their families.
Thanks to an innovative solution spearheaded by our Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Ana A. Sanchez, and our Senior Vice President of Quality and Compliance, Kenny Stevenson, we found a way to support the needs of our patients and families. We trained our nurses assigned to care for hospice patients in assisted living, long-term care, and skilled nursing facilities to conduct informational and admission visits. In the event the patient’s caregiver or family member was unable to be present for the nurse’s visit, they used a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)– compliant telehealth tool to connect virtually. It was through teaching, technology, and innovation that we found ways to meet patients and families in their time of need and to be their Compassionate Guide.
DR. ANA A. SANCHEZ
KENNY STEVENSON
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2021 Community Report
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