HJAR Nov/Dec 2019

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I NOV / DEC 2019 15 What do many people not know about hos- pice and palliative care? Most people think hospice and palliative care are the exact same service. Although their approach is similar, palliative care is appropriate at any age and at any stage in a serious illness, and can be provided along with curative treatment. Hospice is a form of palliative care that requires a terminal diagnosis with an estimate of less than six months to live. Many people think hospice is a place you go, but hospice is typically provided in the place a patient calls home (personal home, long term care, etc.). In ad- dition, many think hospice is only for the final days of life. However, hospice is most beneficial when provided during the last six months of life. How has this care changed over the years? Hospice care hasn’t changed much from compliance updates, we serve as an inter- mediary with state agencies and depart- ments, we advocate for their services at the state and national level, we provide commu- nity and professional continuing education, and we partner and collaborate with other provider associations to ensure hospice and palliative care is an integral component of the health care system in Arkansas. What hurdles do your members have from a business perspective? Hospice has heavy and increased regu- latory requirements without increases in reimbursement. There is also a lack of certi- fied hospice and palliative care profession- als in Arkansas. Palliative care has limited reimbursement, lack of community and health care professional knowledge of the service, and a lack of certified palliative care professionals. the patient and family perspective. Most changes have occurred in regulations and standards. In the past 10 years, we have seen an increased number of hospice organiza- tions implement specialty programs like pet therapy, We Honor Veteran programs, music therapy, and grief events for the bereaved such as butterfly releases and candle lighting ceremonies. Palliative care is slowly gain- ing momentum in the state as far as access to care, but we still have a long way to go. How many members does HPCAA have? What are the advantages of being a member? HPCAA has 17 Hospice Organization members (which includes 58 locations) out of 22 in the state. We have four Pallia- tive Medicine Organization members, and eight individual members. HPCAA keeps our members informed on regulatory and

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