Two Baylor Scott & White Health hospitals were re-designated with The Joint Commission's Advanced Palliative Care Certification, which recognizes hospital inpatient programs with exceptional patient and family-centered care that improves quality of life for those with serious illness.
Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas and Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center – Fort Worth are among only five facilities in Texas with the Advanced Certification in Palliative Care. Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas was the first program in Texas – and one of the first 10 in the nation – to receive the certification in September 2013. Baylor Scott & White – Fort Worth was first certified in 2014.
"We're honored to be among a handful of facilities in Texas recognized for our dedication to quality, patient-centered palliative care," said Robert L. Fine, MD, FACP, FAAHPM, clinical director of the Office of Clinical Ethics and Palliative Care for Baylor Scott & White Health. "Our multidisciplinary team is specially trained to care for patients facing serious illness with everything from symptom control to long-term care planning to help improve their quality of life."
Supportive and palliative care teams include physicians, advance practice nurses, social workers, chaplains, occupational therapists, pharmacists, nutritionists, speech therapists, music practitioners and volunteers who care for patients diagnosed with a serious illness and their families. Both hospital programs include certified child life specialists who help the children and grandchildren of seriously ill patients cope with the impact of the illness.
The intensive certification process involves an on-site review, submission of quality metrics and evidence of effective, timely palliative care using a multidisciplinary team approach. The certification demonstrates Baylor Scott & White Health's commitment to providing quality, comprehensive care.
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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