ALEXANDRIA, Va., Dec. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) announced today that the U.S. hospice industry will receive over $13 million in Fujitsu products and services as part of a $30 million independently managed technology grant program. NHPCO, the oldest and largest leadership organization representing hospice and palliative care providers and professionals and offering consumers information, will receive $800,000 in Fujitsu equipment and support services. Additionally, 15 hospice providers throughout the U.S. have been selected as grant recipients.
Through this grant, hospice organizations around the country will receive state-of-the-art technologies including tablet PCs and notebook computers, servers and external hard disk drives, imaging scanners, video conferencing equipment, plasma screens, Fujitsu security technologies, and more. These tools will allow for real-time record keeping that will facilitate communication amongst the care team, improve patient outcomes through reduced response times and optimized support for family caregivers, enable care providers to spend more time in the field and less time at their desks, speed administrative processing and billing, and offer state-of-the-art training opportunities for staff and volunteers. This will build capacity and spur innovation throughout the field.
NHPCO reports that more than 1.2 million people received care from hospices in the U.S. last year. With the country experiencing the aging of the baby-boomers, the need for care at the end of life is increasing. For several years, the hospice industry has seen consistent growth of about 12 percent a year in patients served. With 80 percent of hospice care delivered in the home -- wherever the patient calls home -- the need to help care professionals maximize time in the field is critical to quality care delivery. Growth in hospice providers has also risen, from one hospice in 1974 to more than 4,100 providers today.
"The Fujitsu products and services will provide cutting-edge solutions to NHPCO and 15 well-deserving providers that will have an impact that extends throughout the industry," said J. Donald Schumacher, NHPCO president and CEO. "NHPCO will work with Fujitsu and the 14 grantee hospices to share lessons learned and successful operational models that are proven to advance quality of care, service delivery, and improve hospice operations. Through these grants, care at the bedside of dying Americans will be potentially transformed."
"State-of-the-art technologies involving telemedicine, video communication, and real-time data transmission are wonderful tools that will allow us to do things we could never do before," said David Simpson, CEO of Hospice of Western Reserve. "But the real magic will be for our patients and their families. For example, in situations where long distances made face-to- face contact a challenge, we'll now be able to have patients and family caregivers actively participate in meetings of their hospice care teams. This should increase patient satisfaction and reduce caregiver anxiety -- issues that are critically important in the work we do."
"The work that the hospice does is very inspiring, and it's great to know that the Fujitsu products and services will help providers streamline their work processes and make life more comfortable for the patients in their care," remarked Lorne Wilson, senior vice president, sales and marketing, Fujitsu Computer Products of America, Inc. "Hospice has the heart and the passion, and we are pleased that the integration of the new technologies will make a difference for everyone involved."
The value of the technologies and services going out to hospices provides an unprecedented opportunity for the industry to benefit from state-of-the-art technology that is more commonly seen in traditional business sectors.
"We look forward to the work we will be able to accomplish with these new resources and expertise. NHPCO's Quality Partners Institute that we have on the drawing board will become operational years before it otherwise would have," Schumacher noted.
Hospice Grant Recipients: Alive Hospice, Inc. Alliance of Community Hospices and Palliative Care Services, Inc. Hospice of the Bluegrass Center for Hospice and Palliative Care, Inc. Capital Hospice, Inc. Continuum Hospice Care Hospice Care Network Hospice of Dayton, Inc. Hospice of Michigan Hospice of Western Reserve, Inc. Hope of Southwest Florida LifePath Hospice and Palliative Care National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization Pathways Home Health and Hospice Hospice of Southern Illinois, Inc. The Hospice of the Florida Suncoast
NHPCO is the oldest and largest nonprofit membership organization representing hospice and palliative care programs and professionals in the United States. NHPCO's mission is to lead and mobilize social change for improved care at the end of life, http://www.nhpco.org.
CONTACT: Jon Radulovic, NHPCO Vice President, Communications, +1-703-837-3139, jradulovic@nhpco.org
National Hospice and Palliative Care OrganizationCONTACT: Jon Radulovic, NHPCO Vice President, Communications,+1-703-837-3139, jradulovic@nhpco.org
Web site: http://www.nhpco.org//
