Portland, OR – April 2, 2015 – In an effort to serve more people in the Portland metropolitan area, Housecall Providers has announced that it will open its hospice program to the broader community.
Since opening in 2009, Housecall Providers Hospice has been delivering end-of-life care exclusively to the nonprofit’s homebound primary care patients. Numerous requests for hospice care from facilities and community members throughout the years made it clear that expanding services is an important step toward fulfilling more of its mission in the community.
“We greatly value the relationships that we have with primary care providers and are looking forward to building on those positive connections as we increase our hospice care throughout the metropolitan area,” remarked Housecall Providers Hospice Program Director, Rebecca Ashling, MSN-RN.
Hospice became a Medicare benefit in 1982 and is a philosophy of care that focuses on patient comfort and quality of life rather than curing the patient's disease. It is a program that addresses the physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual needs of the patient and delivers care wherever the patient may reside.
Each year, Housecall Providers Hospice cares for hundreds of people nearing the end of their lives, and consistently receives high marks from family members. Survey results from last year revealed that 94% of respondents believed the care their loved one received was excellent or very good. Housecall Providers Hospice participates in an accreditation process every three years through the Community Health Accreditation Partner (CHAP).
In addition to primary care and hospice, Housecall Providers offers transitional care to support patients when emergency services or hospitalizations are required. This continuum of care represents the nonprofit’s commitment to offering its patients unparalleled support in the latter stages of their lives.
For members of the media with questions or seeking additional information, please contact Barb Gorman, marketing & communications specialist at 971-202-5535 or [email protected].
About Housecall Providers
Housecall Providers is a Portland area nonprofit celebrating its 20th year of delivering quality, home-centered medical care through the integration of primary, transitional and hospice services for the homebound. We offer compassionate, physical, emotional and spiritual support through life’s journey.
Housecall Providers addresses the complex medical needs of the homebound by sending physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants into our patients’ homes. We believe that in-home medical services for elderly and disabled patients can improve health outcomes, increase patient comfort and reduce health care costs.
We are currently involved in a three-year national demonstration project, Independence at Home. The demonstration is through the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation and is testing whether primary medical care in the home can decrease emergency department visits and hospitalizations so often seen in this fragile population.
