Our Specialized Programs

     

The Valor Institute for Palliative Medicine

Palliative (pronounced pal´e - a tiv) care is medical care focused on relieving suffering and improving the quality of life for anyone dealing with a serious illness, at any time, regardless of diagnosis, prognosis or treatment.

Our academic-based organization ensures that we view patient care, public health, quality, education and research as essential elements of our mission. The Valor Institute for Palliative Medicine members serve Valor HospiceCare interdisciplinary teams to facilitate critical evidence-based knowledge between clinical and academic settings.

The Valor Institute for Palliative Medicine comprises the two program areas of:

1) Quality - Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI)/Quality Assessment Performance Improvement (QAPI), Compliance & Risk Management Programs
2) Education - Academics, Knowledge & Research Programs

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1) Quality - Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI)/Quality Assessment Performance Improvement (QAPI), Regulatory, Risk Management Programs

Since inception, Valor has provided a hospice wide, data driven CQI (enterprise-wide quality) and QAPI (patient care quality) program for operational efficiencies and patient care outcomes, respectively. The Revised Medicare Conditions of Participation in 2008 has created five standards for quality assessment and improving performance, by moving from reactively monitoring quality to proactively improving outcomes in end of life care for each patient and across the organization.

The elements of our effective Quality - CQI/QAPI program include:

1) Evidence of an overarching goal for our organization of improving quality in end of life, patient centered-care for patietns in our hospice. This is a vital part of our Core Values, as well as our Mission and Vision, and is included at all levels of the organization.
2) The Boards role for improvement quality is written in board documents and reflected in board meeting minutes, job descriptions and committee assignments.
3) Structures and process are in place to assess quality outcomes for each patient and across the organization to identify areas for improvement; to do performance improvement projects; to; to involve all staff in improving outcomes; to document these processes and to track measures of quality improvement over time.
4) Outcome and process data can be gathered, analyzed, recorded and displayed to document and communicate results of performance improvement.
5) All members have the skills, time and resouces for involvement in quality improvement activities and to identify "best practices" to improve palliative outcomes. This includes leaders with the skills and vision to lead and manage change, including the Board, CEO, Executive Director, Medical Directors, CQI/QAPI Coordinators and associates.

2) Education - Academics, Knowledge & Research Programs

Led by our Medical team, our "Philosophy of Care" is focused on changing and enhancing the the way hospice is organized, planned and delivered in our markets. As an innovative, academic-based leader in evidence-based approaches to palliative care, we are uniquely positioned to utilize evidence-based research from our programs, university partnerships and networks to support the community.

The Valor Institute for Palliative Medicine, is committed to our investment in new associates, current team members and community health care professionals. The Valor Institute for Palliative Medicine comprises:

· New Associate Orientation (NAO): Our success is directly related to the nurturing of our key asset -- our staff. For new employees, we provide a 80-hour curriculum of comprehensive, by-discipline, new associate orientation (NAO) about Valor, hospice and palliative care.
· Continuing Education & Leadership (CEL): For continuous education, over 20 hours of additional in-service curriculum is provided to staff in our academic-based program. The company has developed and implemented an extensive Human Capital Management framework that allows us to develop, implement and measure over 25 human resources areas of our company.
· We educate health care professionals on evidence-based practices in hospice and palliative care. C.E.U.'s may be available for many of our curriculums. Further, in collaboration with local and national universities, research is conducted for innovative approaches to palliative care.

Education
Medical students, nursing students, fellows, residents interns, pharmacy students and social work students are among those who can benefit from Valor HospiceCare's education opportunities.

Research
Led by our hospice physician team for utilizing medical and complementary therapies, we pursue opportunities to increase the quality of care for patients. The quest to discover new knowledge fosters research for pain and symptom management, cultural diversity, bereavement and integrative therapies.

Current evidence-based programs from research include:

· Integration of More Effective Pain Control Methods into Patient Care
· Specialized Care Programs for Various Diseases
· Ongoing Prognosis and Diagnosis Methodologies to Support Educating the Medical Community
· End of Life Research on Population and Care Trends
· Joint Conferences on Pain Management and Palliative Care

We also affiliate with the Population-based Palliative Care Research Network (PoPCRN) for research projects. For further information, please click here.

The Valor Institute for Palliative Medicine - Pain Management and Palliative Care Conference
The Valor Institute for Palliative Medicine, in collaboration with the Southwest Hospice Foundation, hosts a series of conferences on Pain Management and Palliative Care. Physicians and healthcare professionals are invited to participate. These conferences provide additional education on ethics in end-of-life and palliative care, including new research and knowledge about pain management and symptom control. Additional information will be released on the curriculum, speakers and other topics. CEU credits will be offered. For further information, please contact us at 877.615.3996.

Please click on the following website links for further program information.

      
   

Please contact us today at 877.615.3996 or info@valorhospicecare.com for further information about our services and programs.