How VITAS Can Help with Quality and Performance Metrics

In today’s value-based healthcare environment, the Centers for Medicare Services (CMS) has implemented rating systems using information from healthcare surveys and various quality measures that include:

• Quality improvement
• Pay for reporting (MIPS)
• Public reporting

These are important tools used throughout the healthcare industry in the form of performance rankings to assist patients in making informed decisions on where they will receive care.

VITAS offers several services that can impact our partners’ quality ratings:

• Personalized care plans that improve patients’ quality of life
• Four levels of care for acute symptom management keep patients with varying needs comfortably at home, resulting in reduced:
  • Hospital readmissions
  • In-hospital morbidity and mortality
  • Critical care unit utilization
  • 911 calls and ED utilization
  • Hospital length of stay

We offer patients:

• Expert medical care, pain and symptom management, and emotional and spiritual support
• In-home hospice care, whether home is a private residence, nursing facility or assisted living community
• An average of five-plus visits per patient per week by a member of VITAS’ interdisciplinary hospice team
• 24-hour access to VITAS staff via our Care Connection Center
• Shifts of continuous care in the patient’s home, when medically appropriate, until symptoms are under control
• All home medical equipment, medications and supplies that pertain to the terminal illness
• Emotional and spiritual support for the patient and family
• Bereavement support for the family by VITAS staff for up to 13 months following death