Miami Jewish Health Systems has entered into a partnership agreement with the Miami Veterans Healthcare System (MVAHS) to implement the Florida Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) in order to provide a model of care to keep elderly veterans in Miami-Dade County living independently.
The partnership involves a provider agreement with the Florida PACE Center located within the campus of Miami Jewish Health Systems, which is near the Miami VA Hospital. The Florida PACE Centers, Inc. is sponsored by Miami Jewish Health Systems, a long-time leader in all elder issues from healthcare to Alzheimer’s research. This 72-year-old organization treats 10,000 people of all ethnicities and religions annually across South Florida.
The goal of the partnership is to target an underserved population of veterans who are Medicare eligible, but have incomes that are too high to qualify for Medicaid and do not have sufficient income to pay for the Florida PACE program.
“The PACE program offers our veterans a quality of life by allowing them to live in their homes and age with dignity,” said Dr. Enrique Aguilar, Associate Chief of Staff, Geriatrics and Extended Care at Miami VA Healthcare System.
Florida PACE Centers provide comprehensive inpatient and outpatient medical care with specialty services, such as rehabilitation therapy, cognitive activities, dentistry and podiatry, to Medicare or Medicaid participants 55 years and older. Most importantly, PACE is designed to keep seniors out of institutional care and living independently.
As a participant in the PACE program, veterans will be receiving comprehensive acute, home care, skilled care and other social services that will allow them to live in their home environment. This initiative is viable and unique because it provides veterans an alternative to institutional care.
