The HCA Palliative Care and Hospice Forum developed and succeeded last year in legislative passage of a new palliative care access initiative. The initiative aims at increased palliative care access through expanded opportunities for palliative care education, training and clinical practice participation by nurses and social workers. The HCA-developed legislation specifically charges the State Palliative Care Council with examining curricula in schools of nursing and social work, as well as opportunities in clinical practice settings, relative to palliative care. A report will follow, with recommendations for program support to major state health and education officials.
The State Council is asking HCA and state associations representing virtually every sector of the system to briefly survey providers to help portray the level of palliative care education, training and clinical participation occurring in the field. A parallel inquiry is being conducted with the respective professional nursing and social work schools.
HCA will be issuing a brief survey — five to ten minutes — for all home care providers to complete. It will be used as the basis to inform the recommendations for support of palliative care in home care.
This HCA initiative stands to be one of the most significant steps in potential palliative care support and development in years, and coincides perfectly with the state’s focus on delivery reform and value based payment.