Clinical Excellence
Care Quality & Standards
VNA Care Choices was launched in 2018 when VNA participated in the only Medicare-sponsored home-based palliative care program in North Texas. The program focuses on improving quality of life, patient/family satisfaction, and reduction of emergency room visits and acute hospital stays.
In 2014, VNA applied to participate in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) pilot, Medicare Care Choices Model (MCCM), to test the effectiveness of home-based palliative care to improve quality of life for those suffering from a serious illness and decrease cost for the health care system. In 2016, VNA was chosen as one of the 140 hospices nationwide to participate in the pilot. As part of the second cohort of the pilot, VNA began offering VNA Care Choices in 2018.
The MCCM pilot concluded at the end of 2021. Listen to this podcast to learn about the MCCM program pilot results and how we modeled our current VNA Care Choices Program. Harnessing this experience has positioned VNA Care Choices as the premier provider of home-based supportive palliative care services in North Texas.
The MCCM program surveyed patients and families with 100% of respondents recommending VNA Care Choices, according to the Medicare Care Choices Model Quarterly Hospice Report Q2 2020-Q1 2021 published by the Lewin Group.
Here are some clinical quality measures of our Care Choices Program as compared to MCCM participant benchmarks.
Click here to view the fifth and final Medicare report and findings related to the MCCM pilot study.
Patients who received a pain screening during assessments
Patients who were screened for bowel regimen related to opioid use
Patients who were screened for shortness of breath
Palliative care patients who have no ER visits
Palliative care patients who have not had hospital admissions