This years National Hospice Month is a milestone: one of the nations oldest and largest hospice providers is celebrating its 30th anniversary.
- VITAS founders led the grassroots effort in 1982 that added hospice to the Medicare benefit.
- When hospice care was considered exclusively for cancer patients, VITAS led the effort to include patients with lung disease, heart disease, kidney disease, liver disease and Alzheimers, Parkinsons and multiple sclerosis.
- When the AIDS epidemic was at its peak, with no proven treatments, VITAS was reportedly the first hospice in the nation to field care teams dedicated to the care of AIDS patients and their loved ones.
- VITAS clinicians have developed a hospice-specific pain formulary, wound care guide, analgesic dosage conversion ruler, and educational materials on end-of-life care for families and healthcare professionals.
- VITAS was among the first hospice providers to partner with community-based hospitals, skilled nursing facilities and assisted living communities to open dedicated inpatient hospice units.
- Nearly 20 VITAS clinicians authored and edited one of the definitive texts on hospice care, 20 Common Problems in End-of-Life Care.
As strong as ever in South Florida
Today, VITAS continues its tradition of setting the standards for and bringing innovation to hospice care. All VITAS programs, including those in Dade-Monroe, Broward and Palm Beach counties, offer Intensive Comfort CareSM (also known as Continuous Care), 24-hour availability through Telecare, and bereavement support for patients families. And they work hard to reach culturally and ethnically diverse and/or underserved populations, including veterans, African Americans, Hispanics and Haitians. “Before VITAS came to Palm Beach County in 2003, no one was questioning whether veterans needs were any different from those of other hospice patients,” says General Manager Susan Acocella. “We have a community liaison who works closely with the Veterans Administration Hospital to ensure that our veteran patients receive all the government benefits to which they are entitled, and that their unique medical, emotional and psycho-social needs are met.” VITAS has also become more visible in the faith community, says Broward General Manager Donna Borland. “We recently hosted a brunch, for example, for African American ministers,” explains Donna. “As a result, we received invitations to participate in health fairs at the ministers churches.” The Broward program has seen exponential growth in the number of patients teams visit in assisted living facilities/communities (ALFs). Nationwide, VITAS has seen a 118 percent growth in that patient population between 2004 and mid-2008; many of those patients are in Broward County. “ALFs are realizing that hospice care allows their residents to age in place,” says Donna. “We can provide hospice care without disturbing the lifestyle in ALFs and without burdening the ALF staff.” In Dade and Monroe counties, VITAS participates in regular radio talk shows for the Hispanic and Haitian communities. It also creates care teams that reflect the different ethnic and cultural communities the teams serve. “Its important for patients and their families to feel comfortable with the teams that come into their homes and their lives,” says Dade-Monroe General Manager Maureen Knips. “Having caregivers who speak their language and understand their culture is reassuring at a difficult time.” Over an innovative 30 years, the three South Florida VITAS programs have taken individualized care to new levels, bringing not only skilled medical, emotional and psycho-social expertise to their communities, but sensitivity to the unique needs of their diverse patient populations.
