Community Hospice & Palliative Care Unveils Advanced Cardiac Care Program

Florida-based Community Hospice & Palliative Care has launched an Advanced Cardiac Care Program to serve patients and families wrestling with heart disease.

The hospice, an affiliate of Alivia Care, designed the program in collaboration with the American Heart Association (AHA) and the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI). It will provide a suite of services specifically designed for patients with cardiac conditions.

“Bringing expert cardiac symptom management and compassionate hospice care together, because your heart deserves comfort, dignity and the best care possible,” said Dr. Ana Sanchez, chief medical director for Community Hospice & Palliative Care, in a statement. “The Advanced Cardiac Care Program helps people with advanced heart disease receive support that honors their goals, at home, with peace of mind.”

Hospices across the country have expanded beyond traditional end-of-life care, adding services such as palliative care, PACE and home-based primary care. Some providers, however, are finding success with disease-specific programs that are reimbursed through the Medicare Hospice Benefit.

An increasing number of operators have launched programs designed for patients with particular diagnoses, offering care tailored to those conditions. These include programs focused on dementia, heart failure and other cardiac conditions, as well as lung diseases. While diagnosis-specific, the programs function within the hospice model and are eligible for reimbursement under the Medicare benefit.

“Cardiovascular disease” includes a range of illnesses. Coronary heart disease, valvular heart disease, pulmonary arterial hypertension and heart failure are a few examples. These conditions are associated with significantly reduced quality of life, require ongoing treatment, are often progressive and associated with high mortality rates, AHA reported.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported. In 2020, heart disease took the lives of nearly 929,000 people nationwide. And by 2030, associated costs are expected to reach $1.8 trillion, according to the CDC.

The Advanced Cardiac Care Program will provide patients and families with frequent home visits, medication and symptom management, specialized cardiac protocols and the NPHI cardiac care guide, among other resources and services.

“It is a complete and unnecessary tragedy that only 5% of heart failure patients who are discharged from the hospital ever utilize in-home hospice services,” said Carole Fisher, president of NPHI, in a statement. “Far too many die alone in a hospital or nursing facility, when instead our hospice teams could care for them wherever they reside, and they could enjoy a far higher quality of life surrounded by loved ones.”