Throughout the health care industry, there are evident disparities. We want to be part of the solution.
United Hospice wants to make a difference in the disparity of those who receive hospice care. For example, Latinos make up nearly 20% of New York State’s population, but only 2% of Latinos receive hospice care. United Hospice is committed to changing these statistics and reaching the underserved. We are working to be part of a dramatic change in those statistics!
New York State is ranked second to last in the nation in utilization of the Hospice Medicare benefit. New Yorkers need to be equipped with the information needed to make decisions that will improve their quality of life. This is true not only for those who are patients receiving hospice care but also for their loved ones.
Our approach starts with awareness and we have focused our efforts on educating the community. United Hospice highlights the benefits of the patient-centered care we provide to all patients regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, location, or socioeconomic status. In 2019, our organization embarked on an ambitious mission-driven project to ensure education about the hospice benefit was made available to various underserved communities throughout Orange and Rockland counties. As part of this, we created bilingual care teams to alleviate families of the challenges associated with language barriers when establishing a plan of care. We also organized a Diversity Equity and Inclusion group to integrate cultural awareness best practices into our care plans.
We are reaching into our communities to share the message that hospice is a beacon of hope and compassion for those suffering from terminal illnesses and their families. Communication is vitally important to the work we do at United Hospice. Understanding our patients’ wishes and bringing comfort to patients, caregivers and families is at the center of what we do.
We invite you to watch our short film on the subject, A Commitment To Culture.
If you would like to offer your support in conquering health disparities, consider a tax-deductible donation to United Hospice.