Today, the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI), the US’ largest collaborative of not-for-profit, community-integrated hospice and palliative care providers, released its 2021 Annual Review. The report welcomes new members, provides an overview of NPHI’s policy achievements, and offers reflections on developments in the hospice and palliative care industry.
“From COVID-19, changing competitive landscapes, to workforce issues, our movement has seen its fair share of obstacles,” wrote NPHI CEO Tom Koutsoumpas in the report. “And yet, our not-for-profit hospice programs have not only persevered but thrived, which was evident from the listening tour sessions we held with members and discussions at our virtual annual Summit.”
In key organizational news, NPHI welcomed numerous staff and several leadership team members in 2021.
Carole Fisher, former CEO of NPHI member Nathan Adelson Hospice, was welcomed as President of the organization in January 2021, sharing leadership responsibilities with Founder and CEO Tom Koutsoumpas.
“Every individual deserves to experience exceptional care that matches their goals, values, and preferences, particularly during the last stages of life, and NPHI is a recognized voice for the future of hospice, palliative, and advanced illness care,” reflected Fisher at the time. “As we – along with not-for-profit hospice organizations nationwide who provide exceptional care in their communities – continue to advocate for improved access to quality care at home, our focus is on ensuring our healthcare providers have the resources they need to deliver it.”
Additionally, in November, NPHI appointed Dr. Larry Atkins, a health and social policy analysis expert with more than 30 years of experience, as Chief Policy Officer.
“I’m honored to be joining NPHI at this critical juncture,” said Dr. Atkins. “I look forward to working with our members to ensure that every individual has access to high-quality palliative, advanced, and end-of-life care that reflects their personal needs.”
NPHI also launched several innovative programs dedicated to bridging urgent unmet needs among vulnerable or underserved populations.
In early 2021, In 2021, the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI), the largest collaborative of not-for-profit hospices in the United States, launched the Advanced Cardiac Care (ACC) Program to support the home-based palliative care of patients with serious cardiovascular disease. Since then, top performing NPHI programs have seen nearly 30% increases in cardiac patient admissions and improved clinical outcomes, even in the face of COVID-19 restrictions.
Additionally, NPHI also announced the launch of the NPHI Institute for Health Equity, which aims to address racial disparities in access to high quality end-of-life care by establishing practices and standards that ensure fair treatment, equality of opportunity, promote justice and fairness in access to information and provide resources for the nearly 80 NPHI member programs. The Institute was launched with ten Advisory Board members from organizations ranging from APCO Worldwide and Modern Healthcare to the National Hispanic Health Foundation (NHHF) and the Elaine P. Wynn & Family Foundation.
Finally, in November 2021, NPHI virtually gathered more than 240 members and leaders from across the country at its fifth annual summit, Leading into the Future – the Road Ahead. The event covered key topics in the space, including overcoming workforce challenges, developing payer-provider partnerships, and navigating a healthcare landscape transformed by the pandemic. Speakers included:
- Jay Bhatt, DO, MPH, MPA, Chief Clinical Product Officer & Medical Director, Medical Home Network
- Amitha Kalaichandran, MD, MHS, CPH, epidemiologist, physician, writer, and health-tech consultant
- Cheryl Woodson, MD, FACP, AGSF, CHCQM, Geriatrician
- Bruce Pyenson, Principal and Consulting Actuary, Milliman/Commissioner of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC)
- Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio)
The 2021 Annual Summit was presented by DeltaCare Rx, and sponsored by an interdisciplinary group of organizations including StateServ, Homecare Homebase, Morgan Lewis, Capstone HME, Netsmart, CarePartners, Enclera Pharmacia, Brown & Brown Insurance, OnePoint Patient Care, Healthsperien, Partner Plus Media, Qualis, Tapcloud, and Trella Health.
For more about NPHI’s 2021 achievements and vision for the future please download the report here.
NPHI Media Contact
Rachel Jordan
Communications Associate
rjordan@hospiceinnovations.org
The National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI) is a collaborative of 80+ not-for-profit, community-integrated hospice and palliative care providers dedicated to ensuring patients and their families have access to care that reflects their individual goals, values and preferences. Representing providers from 31 states and the District of Columbia, NPHI and its members help design more innovative and effective models of care, advocate for comprehensive and community-integrated care customized to meet each person’s unique needs, and build collaboration between national thought leaders, decision-makers, and other healthcare stakeholders to improve hospice care. www.nphi.info