Hospice Named as 2018 Hospice Honors Recipient

Carolina Caring has been named a 2018 Hospice Honors recipient by HEALTHCAREfirst, leading provider of web-based technologies and services to improve business and clinical operations for over four thousand home health and hospice providers across the United States. Hospice Honors is a prestigious program that recognizes hospices providing the highest level of quality as measured from the caregiver’s point of view.

“We are excited to recognize the 2018 Hospice Honors recipients for their hard work and dedication to providing exceptional care,” said J. Kevin Porter of HEALTHCAREfirst. “I Congratulate Carolina Caring on its success in achieving this highest of honors.”

Award criteria were based on Hospice CAHPS survey results for an evaluation period of October 2016 through September 2017. Award recipients were identified by evaluating performance on a set of 24 quality indicator measures. Performance scores were aggregated from all completed surveys and were compared on a question-by-question basis to a National Performance Score calculated from all partnering hospices contained in the HEALTHCAREfirst’s Hospice CAHPS database. Hospice Honors recipients include those hospices scoring above the HEALTHCAREfirst National Performance Score on 20 of the evaluated questions. HEALTHCAREfirst holds a special recognition, Hospice Honors Elite, to honor hospices scoring above the HEALTHCAREfirst National Performance Score on all 24 of the evaluated questions.  Please visit HEALTHCAREfirst’s website at www.healthcarefirst.com to learn more about HEALTHCAREfirst Hospice CAHPS survey program as well as the Hospice Honors awards.

Carolina Caring CEO, Dave Cook, credits a committed staff and supportive communities. Cook said, "The commitment to excellence and world-class care is paramount. Ultimately our goal is to provide quality care to patients and families that is not just good, it is the best."

Carolina Caring Launches Referral App to Improve Access to Care

Carolina Caring recently premiered its new patient-referral app for smartphones as part of a continuing and dedicated effort to improve health care through technology.

As a community-based health care organization, Carolina Caring often hears that people wish they'd known about hospice earlier in order to maximize services for loved ones. The Carolina Caring Referral app puts knowledge directly in the hands of users and allows them to make informed decisions for individuals challenged by advanced illness.

The app is designed to enhance access especially for physicians. It offers details about who can benefit from hospice services based on their particular medical diagnosis, and it shares the appropriate admissions criteria and levels of care based on a patient's condition.

The general public may also use the app, which provides an overview of Carolina Caring's programs and facilities, letting people explore what Hospice offers from the comfort of their own homes.

Ultimately, the app invites users to contact Carolina Caring and set up a consultation to see how a patient who's recommended might find relief and gain better quality of life.

Dave Cook, Carolina Caring President and CEO, lauds the referral app for helping simplify the process of referring a patient for medical, spiritual, and emotional support.

"The Carolina Caring Referral app joins our telehealth program in enhancing the care we can provide to patients and families through technology. With a few taps of the screen, folks can reach out to us for information, for photos and video, and to request support. Our primary objective is to bring comfort to those we serve, and this app offers yet another innovative way to achieve that goal."

The Carolina Caring Referral app was created in collaboration with health care organizations across the country to help ensure the long-term success of community-based hospice providers.

The app is available by searching for 'Carolina Caring' at the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. It's a free download.