Baylor Health Care System's Supportive and Palliative Care program is one of three in the U.S. to win the American Hospital Association's 2014 Circle of Life Award: Celebrating Innovation in Palliative and End-of-Life Care. American Hospital Association (AHA) President and CEO Rich Umbdenstock notes that the awardees "are model programs that other hospitals and health care systems can adapt and we are pleased to recognize the great strides they are taking in providing dedicated, compassionate care."
Baylor is pleased to be recognized as a model program and received the award at a July 21 ceremony in San Diego.
Baylor was chosen by a selection committee made up of leaders from medicine, nursing, social work, ethics and health administration. The judges cited the success of the Baylor's Supportive and Palliative Care program in promoting the culture of palliative care for patients and families facing the most serious illness throughout the system. Robert L. Fine, MD, and Martha Philastre, MBA, direct the programs at Baylor Health Care System, now part of Baylor Scott & White Health.
"We're honored and humbled," said Dr. Fine. "This award speaks to the success we've seen in transforming our culture at Baylor. Our medical staff now embraces supportive and palliative care principles to serve all seriously ill patients, including but not limited to those needing end-of-life care. Our program also focuses on support for family members, particularly children of seriously ill adults."
Palliative care manages symptoms – such as pain, nausea, insomnia, and loss of appetite – that accompany disease or treatment, and also helps patients and families plan for the future. Unlike hospice, palliative care can be employed while attempting to cure a disease. The vast majority of palliative patients, although seriously and often terminally ill, are not actively dying. Studies show that palliative care reduces emergency-department visits, improves patient symptom burden, reduces emergency department visits, enhances advance care planning, enhances family support, and improves overall patient and family satisfaction. Studies have even demonstrated that palliative care prolongs survival in patients with metastatic cancer.
A 2011 survey found that about 70 percent of U.S. adults were not knowledgeable about palliative care. Once it was described, about the same percentage considered it vital when dealing with a serious illness.
In 2012, Baylor University Medical Center (BUMC) was the first hospital in Texas—and one of the first 10 in the nation—to receive advanced certification for palliative care from The Joint Commission. Baylor now has two of the four hospital palliative care programs certified by The Joint Commission in Texas. According to the Joint Commission, the certification recognizes hospital inpatient programs that demonstrate exceptional patient and family-centered care. The certification process included an on-site visit, review of quality metrics and evidence of effective, timely palliative care using a multidisciplinary approach. Baylor also operates two of the three palliative care outpatient clinics in North Texas, offering many new patients same-day appointments and hospital follow-ups.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Julie Smith
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About Baylor Scott & White Health
As the largest not-for-profit health system in the state of Texas, Baylor Scott & White promotes the health and well-being of every individual, family and community it serves. It is committed to making quality care more accessible, convenient and affordable through its integrated delivery network, which includes the Baylor Scott & White Health Plan, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, the Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance and its leading digital health platform – MyBSWHealth. Through 51 hospitals and more than 1,200 access points, including flagship academic medical centers in Dallas, Fort Worth and Temple, the system offers the full continuum of care, from primary to award-winning specialty care. Founded as a Christian ministry of healing more than a century ago, Baylor Scott & White today serves more than three million Texans. For more information, visit: BSWHealth.com