Houston Hospice Opens Doors to TMC Inpatient Unit
Houston Hospice Opens Doors to TMC Inpatient Unit
Patients of Houston-Area Hospice Providers Have Open Access
HOUSTON (Sept. 28, 2023) – Houston Hospice is offering access to its inpatient unit for patients of other Houston-area hospice providers who require general inpatient level of care.
Open access allows a patient’s current hospice provider to coordinate care with Houston Hospice and delivers high-touch, acute hospice care for pain and symptom management to patients who might otherwise have to be readmitted to the hospital.
“As Houston’s largest, nonprofit, hospice provider, part of our mission is to share our resources with the community,” said Rana S. McClelland, president and CEO of Houston Hospice. “Our goal with open access is to help eliminate difficult transitions and readmissions to the hospital, as well as improve the quality of care for patients until they can safely return home.”
The inpatient unit is in the heart of the Texas Medical Center and provides oversight by hospice and palliative board-certified physicians to oversee care 24 hours a day. Previously, only Houston Hospice patients could access the inpatient unit.
Patients and families have access to amenities such as around the clock visiting hours, a chapel, historic gardens and accommodations for pets.
For more information on the open-access program, hospice providers can contact Christine Blackmon at cblackmon@houstonhospice.org.
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About Houston Hospice
Founded in 1980, Houston Hospice is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing quality, end-of-life care to patients and their families throughout 13 counties in Southeast Texas. We offer an interdisciplinary team-led approach that includes physicians, nurses, chaplains, social workers, hospice aides, bereavement counselors and volunteers. We provide the appropriate level of comfort care in a setting the patient calls home or in our freestanding inpatient unit. Our holistic view of hospice care is enhanced by the extensive knowledge and expertise of our staff, specialized educational opportunities and community outreach efforts. Houston Hospice is a member of the Texas Medical Center. For more information, visit: houstonhospice.org.