Miami, FL, May 07, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VITAS® Healthcare, the nation’s leading provider of end-of-life care, is now an associate member of the American Hospital Association (AHA). VITAS brings a 40-year history of industry expertise and perspective on the integration of hospice and palliative care services in hospitals to ensure a seamless continuum of care for patients.
“We are honored to serve as a member of AHA and support their mission of advancing the health of individuals and communities,” said Nick Westfall, CEO of VITAS. “Clinical research and decades of experience demonstrate that hospice is uniquely positioned to offer high-quality and cost-effective patient care— two key factors that define value-based care.”
As the demand for high-value, patient-centered care grows within hospitals and health systems, the VITAS care model expedites transitions of hospice-appropriate patients from the ED, including higher-acuity, clinically complicated patients, alleviating congestion and improving workflow and HCAPS® scores. The care model at VITAS is provided by interdisciplinary care teams, pharmacy services, 24/7 clinical support, and durable medical equipment delivered to a patient’s home.
“We are excited to welcome VITAS Healthcare to the AHA membership family. We believe this member relationship will bring value to our member hospitals, and the communities they serve,” said Tony Spohn, AHA Executive Director, Associate Membership.
As a leader in end-of-life care, VITAS continually innovates ways to enhance the patient experience and care transition from hospital to hospice care. VITAS uses a proprietary interoperability system designed to interface with hospital and health system EMR technology, increasing the efficiency of case managers and reducing the hospice response time. VITAS’ robust mobility strategy allows its clinicians to deliver mobile-supported hospice care, communications, orders and interactions to patients’ bedsides quickly, securely and reliably.
In April, VITAS also developed the first mobile scanning referral app, allowing practitioners to quickly scan healthcare documents to securely send us their referrals, eliminating the need for outdated, time-consuming faxing. The app is available for phones and tablets on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
In honor of AHA’s recognition of National Hospital Week, VITAS also recognizes and thanks the more than 5 million healthcare professionals who provide safe, high-quality hospice care in their communities. These everyday heroes serve our nation’s patients and their families faithfully day and night; we are grateful for their commitment and dedication.
About VITAS Healthcare
VITAS® Healthcare, a pioneer and leader in the hospice movement since 1978, is the nation’s leading provider of end-of-life care. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, VITAS (pronounced VEE-tahss) operates 45 hospice programs in 14 states (California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin) and the District of Columbia. VITAS employs 11,627 professionals who care for more than 17,000 terminally ill patients on an average day, primarily in the patients’ homes, but also in the company’s 27 inpatient hospice units as well as in hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living communities/residential care facilities for the elderly. Visit VITAS.com.
About American Hospital Association
The American Hospital Association (AHA) is the national organization that represents and serves all types of hospitals, health care networks, and their patients and communities. Nearly 5,000 hospitals, health care systems, networks, other providers of care and 43,000 individual members come together to form the AHA. AHA Associate Members are companies recognized as key partners of America's hospitals and health systems. These companies choose to forge better business relationships with hospitals based on knowledge, trust, and an interest in advancing the health of America.
