The Hutchinson hospice branch underwent a rigorous, unannounced onsite review. During the visit, a team of Joint Commission reviewers evaluated compliance with home health standards spanning several areas including environment of care, infection prevention and control, emergency management leadership, and medication management.

The Joint Commission’s standards are developed in consultation with healthcare experts and providers, measurement experts, and patients. They are informed by scientific literature and expert consensus to help healthcare organizations measure, assess, and improve performance. The surveyors also conducted onsite observations and interviews.

“As a healthcare accreditor, The Joint Commission works with healthcare organizations across care settings to inspire a safer and higher quality of care that is more equitable and compassionate,” says Ken Grubbs, DNP, MBA, RN, executive vice president of accreditation and certification operations and chief nursing officer, The Joint Commission. “Through collaborating on innovative solutions and evidence-based resources and tools, The Joint Commission helps drive improvement while maintaining accountability through our leading survey methods and standards. We commend H¶ŻÂţ of Hutchinson for its commitment to advancing safety, quality, equity, and compassion for all patients.”

“Accreditation from The Joint Commission recognizes our staff’s commitment to provide superior care and superior services to each patient and family we are privileged to serve. We are honored to earn The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval,” says Brian Lantier, chief executive officer of H¶ŻÂţ.

For more information, please visit .

About H¶ŻÂţ

H¶ŻÂţ provides home health, hospice, and palliative care services. Its goal is to help patients have the best quality of life possible surrounded by the people they love. H¶ŻÂţ opened its first agency in Bryan, Texas in 2008. Since then, the company has continued to grow and now provides care across 18 states. H¶ŻÂţ is a portfolio company of .

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The Lafayette hospice branch underwent a rigorous, unannounced onsite review. During the visit, a team of Joint Commission reviewers evaluated compliance with home health standards spanning several areas including environment of care, infection prevention and control, emergency management leadership, and medication management.

The Joint Commission’s standards are developed in consultation with healthcare experts and providers, measurement experts, and patients. They are informed by scientific literature and expert consensus to help healthcare organizations measure, assess, and improve performance. The surveyors also conducted onsite observations and interviews.

“As a healthcare accreditor, The Joint Commission works with healthcare organizations across care settings to inspire a safer and higher quality of care that is more equitable and compassionate,” says Ken Grubbs, DNP, MBA, RN, executive vice president of accreditation and certification operations and chief nursing officer, The Joint Commission. “Through collaborating on innovative solutions and evidence-based resources and tools, The Joint Commission helps drive improvement while maintaining accountability through our leading survey methods and standards. We commend H¶ŻÂţ of Lafayette for its commitment to advancing safety, quality, equity, and compassion for all patients.”

“Accreditation from The Joint Commission recognizes our staff’s commitment to provide superior care and superior services to each patient and family we are privileged to serve. We are honored to earn The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval,” says Brian Lantier, chief executive officer of H¶ŻÂţ.

For more information, please visit .

About H¶ŻÂţ

H¶ŻÂţ provides home health, hospice, and palliative care services. Its goal is to help patients have the best quality of life possible surrounded by the people they love. H¶ŻÂţ opened its first agency in Bryan, Texas in 2008. Since then, the company has continued to grow and now provides care across 18 states. H¶ŻÂţ is a portfolio company of .

The post H¶ŻÂţ of Lafayette, LA Awarded Hospice Accreditation appeared first on H¶ŻÂţ.

“Volunteers are treated just like employees here,” Whaley says. “Whatever’s required of our employees, we require of our volunteers. That’s important because volunteers enter patients’ homes. So, they should be both fully vetted and fully prepared.”

A vital role in hospice care

She’s worked as a volunteer coordinator for more than six years, but before that, was a hospice nurse for 23 years. During that time, she’s come to understand what patients need, and how volunteers can add value.

While it’s true The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) require volunteers to perform 5% of direct patient care hours per month for hospice agencies, she insists their contributions go far beyond simply meeting that goal.

“Sometimes the fact that we’re required to have volunteers somehow diminishes the value they bring in people’s minds. It’s so important to understand the vital role these volunteers play in providing compassionate hospice care,” Whaley adds.

The nurses, chaplains, social workers, and home health aides who make up the other 95% of the direct patient care hours each month all have tasks they have to complete, including taking a patient’s vital signs or even bathing them. Volunteers, on the other hand, don’t have any jobs to perform except spending time with patients.

“That means they can just be that friend our patients need — whether that involves holding their hand, sitting with them while they cry, or listening when they need to feel heard. So many of our patients have such amazing life stories to tell, and we only get to hear a tiny bit of them,” Whaley admits. “But it means so much to them to share those stories.”

She also mentioned seeing volunteers step outside the box for patients every day, and was able to share a few recent examples:

• One volunteer would read to a patient who used to be an avid reader before losing her eyesight. The volunteer took it one step further by setting up a way for the library to mail audiobooks to the patient.
• Another volunteer took it upon herself to download German music to play for a patient who loved music. The patient had reverted to only communicating in that language, which was her native tongue. 

And that’s why she wants to recognize their contributions this April during National Volunteer Week — and every day.  

A growing need for volunteers

As people work longer and longer in life — to ages well past 65 — the need for volunteers is increasingly important.

Many H¶ŻÂţ hospice volunteers are college students who need to fulfill a certain number of volunteer hours in the healthcare field. And some are women who have grown kids, time on their hands, and a desire to give back.

“A lot of people who’ve reached retirement age are either still working, traveling, or taking care of grandkids,” Whaley adds. “And that affects the number of visitors many hospice patients receive, too. They have families who work or who don’t live close by, so they don’t visit as much. Our volunteers help fill that need.”

If you’re interested in volunteering with H¶ŻÂţ, email volunteers@traditionshealth.com to learn more.

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As the vice president of operations, she will be responsible for the oversight of the home health branches in Kansas, and several home health branches in Oklahoma and Texas. In addition, she will play a crucial role in supporting the home health team, ensuring programming is operating at the highest of standards, and continuing to implement strategic, operational, and growth initiatives.

“Angie’s collaborative efforts have significantly contributed to increasing operational efficiency. Her dedication to continuous improvement and her ability to inspire her team have been pivotal in driving success,” said Tony Maxwell, chief operating officer.

Collins began her home health career working for Trinity Valley H¶ŻÂţ as director of nursing for 14 years before Trinity Valley H¶ŻÂţ was acquired by H¶ŻÂţ. After the acquisition, she became clinical team leader before being promoted to administrator, regional administrator of the Tyler, and Waxahachie branches, and ultimately regional director of operations for the Tyler, Waxahachie, Tomball, and Houston branches.

“I’m very excited for this next chapter of my career with Traditions and cannot wait to share my passion for home health,” says Collins.

Collins lives in Tyler, Texas.

About H¶ŻÂţ

H¶ŻÂţ provides home health, hospice, and palliative care services. Its goal is to help patients have the best quality of life possible surrounded by the people they love. H¶ŻÂţ opened its first agency in Bryan, Texas in 2008. Since then, the company has continued to grow and now provides care across 18 states. H¶ŻÂţ is a portfolio company of .

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