The Issue:
Four New Reports Recommend Continued Collaboration to Improve Patient Care And Outcomes
New York’s healthcare associations highlight collaborative work on hospital-home care innovation, mental health, public vaccination, and aging in place
Following is a January 27, 2023, press release originally posted by the Home Care Association of New York State. The State’s healthcare associations also sent this letter to Gov. Hochul about their findings, in reports funded by our Foundation:
Local collaboration is the key to confronting public health challenges, according to four new reports issued by the Home Care Association of New York State, Iroquois Healthcare Association and the Healthcare Association of New York State.
As part of the Statewide Hospital-Home Care Collaborative for COVID-19 and Beyond, funded by the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, the three organizations’ new reports detail best practices for establishing new models of hospital-home care innovation, meeting the growing demand for mental health services, public vaccination efforts, and partnering with the aging services network.
“When New Yorkers come together to help each other and serve their communities, everyone benefits,” said Al Cardillo, president and chief executive officer of the Home Care Association of New York State. “Our work is not done; collaboration and communication must continue so the healthcare system and professionals are ready for future challenges. The innovative partnerships made will undoubtedly help us continue to address community health needs across the state, particularly those affecting the homebound.”
“What we have learned from the pandemic is that organizations need to continue to find ways to work collaboratively to improve access and quality of care for the people of New York State,” said IHA President and CEO Gary J. Fitzgerald. “The strongest organizations that will emerge in the next several years will be those that have found ways to turn competition into collaboration, have integrated individual and siloed programs into the continuum of care and have found ways to share data in a manner that protects patient privacy, while also sharing data for better outcomes. The models and organizations featured in this hospital-home care collaboration grant have not only done these things, but they have also identified programs that could be replicated in the future by others.”
“These reports highlight how essential collaboration was during the COVID-19 pandemic and how much potential there is in continued and increased partnerships,” said Bea Grause, RN, JD, president, Healthcare Association of New York State. “We must continue to innovate as we transform our healthcare system and address very serious workforce and fiscal challenges.”
“The collaboration between facility-based care and Offices for the Aging is paramount to support older New Yorkers, caregivers, and families, and allow individuals to age in place. The Association on Aging in New York is thrilled to partner with the Home Care Association, HANYS, and IHA to highlight best practice models for holistic care,” said Becky Preve, executive director, Association on Aging in New York.
Among the reports’ key findings:
Compendium of Statewide Hospital-Home Care Collaborative Models
- Hospitals and home care providers in New York state can build upon the developments made and lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic to create an integrated, patient-centered healthcare system.
- Strong coordination across the continuum of health and social services can improve clinical outcomes for patients and reduce preventable emergency department utilization and inpatient admissions.
Innovative Hospital-Home Care-Mental Health Collaboration Models: A Primer
- Mental healthcare needs must be considered when making plans to age in place or return to the community post-hospital discharge. Hospital, home care and mental health providers bring unique strengths to work together to serve the whole patient.
- Approaching patient care from a team-based perspective and engaging with the patient to work toward a shared goal can improve cost-effectiveness and reduce medical errors.
- Telehealth has the potential to fill a significant care need as it is transforming the healthcare system by decreasing barriers and increasing access to services. It is an easy and effective way to receive needed mental health services on the computer, cellphone or tablet.
2022 Collaborative Prototypes & Lessons Learned During the COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout
- Pharmacies and community-based organizations used their roles effectively as trusted neighborhood healthcare providers to combat vaccine hesitancy and improve distribution. Limited broadband access in rural areas, as well as digital illiteracy, made online registration for vaccine appointments difficult to impossible.
- The ten regional hubs in New York each created a health equity task force (HETF) to organize the equitable distribution of vaccines. The HETFs broke down transportation barriers, reached the homebound population and employed targeted, community-based messaging to reach the underserved.
- An organized reporting structure and single points of contact for reporting and communication can reduce duplicative work, uncertainty and miscommunication. A centralized, real-time reporting system and database are needed for future projects.
Hospital and Home Care Partnerships with Aging Providers: Collaboration Models and Lessons Learned
- The number of New Yorkers ages 65 and older increased by 647,000 (26%) over the past decade. During the same period, New York State’s overall population grew by 3%. There are now more New Yorkers ages 65 and older than there are children under the age of 13.
- Because of the growing preference to age in place, multiple sectors must collaborate to fortify care transitions. The transition from the hospital to the home is particularly crucial. Significant investments must be made to recruit and retain the workforce needed to care for the growing aging population.
The associations look forward to continuing their engagement with providers across the healthcare continuum, community partners and policymakers to advance collaborative models of patient care.
Contacts:
Brandon Vogel (HCA) bvogel@hcanys.org
Janae Quackenbush (HANYS) jquacken@hanys.org
Kathy Kirvin (IHA) kkirvin@iroquois.org