Raising already high standards for quality and excellence one or two percentage points is the immediate goal of a statewide initiative announced by the HCAC board at its recent meeting in Denver.

President Sue Brown said the association has adopted a campaign under the banner of "Quality and Compassion -- Excellence Proven." It is to be a year-long initiative aimed at raising public awareness of the value of home care and to instill enthusiasm on the part of home care professionals to achieve even higher standards in specific areas of practice.

Brown said an improvement of only 1% in some areas, such as the reduction of hospital admissions related to chronic diseases, translates into millions of dollars of savings in public and private funds and raises the quality of life and health care for hundreds of Colorado citizens. Another key area is the maintenance of elderly patients in the home setting as opposed to institutional nursing homes.

In making the announcement Brown cited an impressive but little known fact that home care agencies in Colorado provide more than three million home care visits each year to more than 60,000 individuals and employ some 10,000 nurses, therapists, certified nurse aides and personal care providers.

As part of the Home Health Quality Improvement campaign, Brown said that HCAC will encourage providers members to:

- Actively participate in the national campaign sponsored by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and

- Sign a pledge of commitment to quality and excellence and use the new Seal of Excellence provided by HCAC

HCAC will work with the newly formed Home Care Foundation for Technology and Education in obtaining funds to assist in the use of technological innovations in the monitoring of patient health in the home setting.

"We believe that HCAC members already are the leaders in striving for quality and excellence but this initiative will raise the bar for the entire home care industry in Colorado."

[Return Home]