The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization recently announced that Hospice of the Chesapeake has earned two of four rings in the first quarter of the Quality Connections program. Only six other hospice organizations in the United States have achieved this feat with the program that began Jan. 27.
With this new program the NHPCO, the nation’s largest membership organization for providers and professionals who care for people affected by serious and life-limiting illness, seeks to achieve continuous quality improvement among its members by enhancing knowledge base, skills and competency. Quality Connections is structured around four fundamental pillars which are represented by four rings: Education, Application, Measurement and Innovation. Each ring has specific activities incorporating practical resources to progressively track and improve both clinical and organizational quality. Additionally, participants will find activities focused on promoting diversity, access and inclusion within their organization and the communities they serve. Hospice of the Chesapeake has earned the Education and Application rings.
“It is not enough for a hospice to simply say that they are interested in quality; they need to step up and demonstrate that commitment. Hospice of the Chesapeake has done that by earning two of the four possible rings of achievement that are part of NHPCO’s Quality Connections program,” said NHPCO President and CEO Edo Banach. “Hospice of the Chesapeake is actively engaged in continuous quality improvement and this matters to patients, families, payers and providers.”
Hospice of the Chesapeake President and CEO Mike Brady said that quality has always been the chief focus in the nonprofit’s mission of caring for life throughout the journey with illness and loss. “The Quality Connections program is a guiding star for us and other hospice organizations,” Brady said. “Each ring we achieve informs our team and our community that our hard work and commitment is matched only by the best in the nation. Each ring represents that we are always developing, delivering and demonstrating the highest quality of care for our patients and our healthcare partners in Anne Arundel, Charles and Prince George’s counties.”
