This new partnership will allow Family Hospice and Palliative Care, Pennsylvania’s largest nonprofit hospice and palliative care organization, to grow substantially in both volume and geographic coverage. Family Hospice will become part of UPMC’s Community Provider Services, which includes the Home Nursing Agency (HNA) hospice, serving Blair County and the surrounding area. HNA Hospice is among the top providers in the state and was the first home health agency in Pennsylvania to become a Medicare-certified hospice. Family Hospice will continue to operate under its name, and serve patients and families with end-of-life health care services, locations, staff, and educational outreach programs. The combined program will be managed by HNA.
“UPMC has a long history of support for palliative care as a fundamental part of our commitment to our patients and their families to actively communicate and respect their individual goals and wishes about their care,” says Deborah Brodine, president, Community Provider Services. “Family Hospice has been a wonderful partner, with a complementary mission and vision, and we are pleased to fully embrace the organization as part of our larger health system. We welcome the opportunity to continue to partner with Presbyterian SeniorCare and other like-minded organizations in this important work.”
The combined assets, experience, and depth of resources under UPMC’s Community Provider Services will enable Family Hospice to offer ongoing, better-coordinated, comprehensive care for patients dealing with progressive and life-limiting illness, and maintain the highest quality of end-of-life care.
“Family Hospice and Palliative Care has a long history of providing fabulous care in the community and we are thrilled to work more closely, allowing us to ensure that every patient gets the right care at the right time in the right location,” says Robert Arnold, MD, medical director, UPMC Palliative and Supportive Institute.