I believe our one-of-a-kind recipe for hospice care is so successful because we all share a passion for providing the highest quality, most compassionate care to our patients and families. And, by mixing just the right ingredients into our hospice care “soup,” we will continue to demonstrate our ability to serve unparalleled end-of-life care. 

Strong Leadership. I truly believe that hiring and empowering proven and passionate leaders is one of the most proactive steps possible for achieving stellar hospice care — a key ingredient. I feel very lucky to have established long-term Professional Intimate Relationships with some of the most intelligent and passionate hospice professionals in the field — leaders who represent Solari with great integrity in their work to deepen existing relationships and to build new ones. 

Solari’s consistently successful leadership team in Las Vegas led that program to its best year ever in 2011. In Houston last year, we welcomed several highly qualified and enthusiastic healthcare professionals into our hospice family to guide that program’s growth in tandem with the opening of our new Houston Inpatient Home. In both locations, our medical team leaders demonstrate their dedication to excellence through continuing education and training to obtain valuable hospice and palliative care certifications. These leadership teams, in addition to the incredible group of leaders who help keep things cooking from our Central Office in Arizona, show no signs of slowing down in 2012.

They say the proof’s in the pudding … Well, the fantastic Average Daily Census (ADC) in both cities over the past year demonstrates the skill and commitment of our company’s leaders. On the cusp of its 10th anniversary in 2012, our Las Vegas program celebrated another milestone — its highest monthly ADC ever at nearly 230 patients. That’s amazing! And it simply accentuates the need for another Solari Hospice Care Inpatient Home to serve Las Vegas’ growing end-of-life care needs. I’m excited to announce that we are in the process of finalizing the purchase of land to build our next Inpatient Home in Northwest Las Vegas, with the expectation of opening our newest “vortex of love” in late 2013. As our growth momentum builds, we also envision opening a third Inpatient Home in Southeast-Central Las Vegas the following year.

Visionary Inpatient Care. I always call our Inpatient Homes “vortexes of love” because that’s just what they are…high-energy centers for the most compassionate, highest quality palliative care and support for our patients and families when they need it the most. Designed and built from the ground up to meet the special needs of hospice patients and families, our Inpatient Homes truly differentiate us in the marketplace. With state-of-the-art medical equipment housed in a warm and inviting setting with myriad home-like amenities and no visitation restrictions, our Inpatient Homes help keep our patients out of the cold and impersonal hospital environment. And what takes place within the walls of our IPUs is magical … teams of top-notch hospice professionals taking an integrative approach to individualized patient and family care.

I couldn’t be happier that we are now able to offer this incredible service in the greater Houston community. 2011 saw the opening of Houston Solari Hospice care’s first Inpatient Home, which earned acclaimed accreditation by the Joint Commission in December. To achieve this huge goal, our Houston program underwent a complete leadership and operational transformation last year. With the Houston IPU accepting patients and new leaders and systems in place, 2012 promises to be an exciting growth year in Houston!

New Technologies. Forward-thinking companies embrace new technologies because such innovation enables businesses to work smarter. As we prepare this year to implement a 100-percent electronic medical records system companywide, I look forward to working even more efficiently so we can offer the next level of service to our patients, families and professional healthcare partners. Going paperless will enable us to continue speeding up patient care response, in addition to improving communication among team members. With less paperwork to fill out, our Solari “angels” will have more time to spend face-to-face with patients and family members, allowing for increased eye-to-hand patient observation and documentation.

Giving Back. In addition to offering the highest caliber of hospice care to our patients and families, it has always been my vision to give back to the communities we serve and beyond through the Solari Hospice Foundation. I have never been more committed to the nonprofit Foundation’s mission to help children and families through Camp Solari, and to educate the public about hospice care. With this mission in mind, we just began working with a fund development expert to help us evolve into a national resource for hospice education and bereavement support.

To take our camp programs in Las Vegas and Houston to the next level in 2012, we recently recruited locally based professional counseling teams in both cities. Leveraging their expertise and their established relationships in their prospective communities, these counseling teams will help the Foundation realize its vision for a greater number of bereavement camps — potentially nationwide — to give children and families the tools they need to work through their grief and live the most joyful lives possible.

Building Buzz. Thanks to the efforts of a talented Communications & Media Relations team that came together in 2011, Solari Hospice Care’s and Solari Hospice Foundation’s hard work in Houston and Las Vegas is gaining broader recognition. It feels great to open a magazine or newspaper, turn on the TV, or log onto a website and see our company showcased in one way or another for the awesome service we provide to terminally ill patients and their loved ones! Beyond that satisfaction, however, lies that fact that our media coverage helps spread the word about Solari Hospice Care to both patients/families and potential referral sources. Whether they see our beautiful new commercial while watching the local news, read an article about Solari while waiting at a doctor’s office, or check out a Solari story or video clip while surfing the Web, media coverage in all forms is a valuable tool. I’m thankful for all the Solari family members who are making it happen! I have no doubt that the media buzz about our company will continue to build throughout 2012.

All in all, I feel utterly confident that we’ve added the right ingredients to our recipe for stellar hospice care. As we continue to stir, sample, tweak and occasionally, turn up the fire in 2012, we’re sure to create a soup that’s even better than we dreamed it would be. 

The ultimate importance of remaining surrounded by the people who really make life worth living until the moment you take your last breath is the foundation for our company’s Inpatient Hospice Homes.

What I like to call our “vortexes of love,” these beautiful facilities in Houston and Las Vegas offer state-of-the-art, short-term acute care medical services within a comfortable, tranquil environment that makes the patient’s loved ones feel at home. We want to make it easier for all the people (and even the beloved pets) who make our patients’ lives worth living to spend as much precious time with them as possible, even when their symptoms can’t be safely managed at home. No uncomfortable waiting rooms. No institutional patient rooms. No time limits.

It’s all about quality of life — love, connectedness, joyful experiences. I really believe that, and I think our Inpatient Hospice Homes express that conviction.

The free-standing, 12-bed facility, located at 9714 South Gessner Road in Houston is specifically designed to address the requirements of patients facing complex end-of-life issues, such as pain management, symptom control and medical procedures. The hospice home features private rooms equipped with comfortable beds, sofa sleepers for family members, a soothing family gathering room, flat-screen TVs with cable access, a spacious common living room and a serene chapel for spiritual meditation.

“We are proud that Houston Solari Hospice Care’s new inpatient home will offer patients in Houston the ability to receive compassionate and comprehensive end-of-life care in a warm and friendly home-like atmosphere,” said Doris Brown, executive director and director of patient care at Houston Solari Hospice Care. “We know how important it is for hospice patients to have their loved ones nearby. Patients now have the opportunity to receive professional, comprehensive and compassionate care specific to their unique needs in a tranquil atmosphere.”

The 8,000-square-foot building, designed by Houston-based Wilson Architectural Group, has a “Texas/Tuscan feel” with Austin limestone, a rich terra cotta tile roof and numerous high-arched windows to let in warm natural light. Other amenities for patients and families include a commercial kitchen, a family laundry facility and Internet access. In addition, the sprawling and well-manicured grounds feature a meditation garden, pergola and conversation areas.

 “Many doctors and nurses in Houston’s renowned medical community recognize the tremendous benefit of a local inpatient hospice home that’s in close proximity to the area’s numerous hospitals, clinics and medical facilities,” said Gary W. Polsky, president and chief executive officer, Solari Hospice Care. “Their advocacy for Solari Hospice Care’s new inpatient hospice home in Houston will help educate area residents, patients and their families to its importance as a valuable community resource.”

Already Medicare certified, Houston Solari Hospice Care will begin accepting new patients after its grand opening on May 18 and expects to be accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) in July 2011. Considered the world leader in evaluating quality and safety of care delivered in all types of healthcare settings, this highly respected certification is only offered to hospitals that meet rigorous national quality standards for care and safety.

Added Polsky, “Hospice is more of a philosophy of care, than a place. Hospice takes a holistic approach to the care of each patient, encompassing all aspects of the patient’s needs. It’s the best way to help dying patients and their families to spend more quality time together, preserving one of our country’s most important social values—keeping families together.”

The Benefits of Inpatient Hospice Care

Below, Solari Hospice Care provides valuable insight into a few of the benefits of inpatient hospice care:

• Quality care delivered by a dedicated, interdisciplinary staff. In addition to receiving exemplary care from a highly trained staff of doctors, registered nurses, therapists and certified nursing aides, social workers provide counseling to the patient and the family, assist with end-of-life planning and identify community resources that may be helpful to meet additional needs. Spiritual counselors provide spiritual support to those requesting it, honoring each patient’s personal beliefs. Bereavement counselors assist the family in the grieving process prior to and up to one year following the patient’s death.
• No out-of-pocket expenses for the patient or the family. The Medicare hospice benefit, enacted by Congress in 1982, is the predominant source of payment for hospice care. Hospice care is completely covered by Medicare and Medicaid for care and services related to the patient’s primary hospice diagnosis. For care unrelated to the primary hospice diagnosis, Medicare A/B and Medicaid will continue to provide patients their routine benefits including physician visits. Most private insurance plans, military/VA plans, HMOs and other managed care organizations also have hospice benefits that will pay for most, if not all, care and services related to the hospice diagnosis.
• Comfortable, warm and friendly environment. Inpatient hospice care is quite different from the cold, stale, rigid environment that has given hospitals and nursing homes a bad reputation. The inpatient hospice atmosphere is geared towards warm, cozy palliative care, providing 24-hour nursing services furnished in accordance with each patient’s plan of care. In addition, caring and compassionate volunteers provide an array of services to patients including friendly visits, companionship, short-term respite for the caregiver, massage therapy, music therapy, as well as free notary service for patients.
• Dignity and privacy while maximizing quality of life. Hospice care helps terminally ill people to live life to the fullest in the time they have remaining. By focusing on relieving pain and managing symptoms, hospice helps patients to retain as much control as possible and maximize quality of life. In stark contrast to the restrictive visiting hours of hospitals, patients of inpatient hospice homes can receive visitors at any hour, including infants, small children and even pets. In addition, patient rooms are designed and equipped for nursing care, as well as the dignity, comfort and privacy of patients. Family members can even stay over night to be with their loved one, if they choose.

It’s never a quick and easy decision when trying to choose end-of-life care for either yourself or your loved ones, but it’s likely to be a reality for many people as medical advancements enable the population to continue to push past the average life expectancy. However, with an increased knowledge of the valuable benefits of hospice, patients and their families can choose the best end-of-life care option or inpatient hospice program that is right for them in their community.

About Solari Hospice Care

Solari Hospice Care is devoted to helping people live with dignity and comfort by providing trusted and professional hospice care in the Houston and Las Vegas communities. Focused on enhancing the quality of life for patients and their loved ones, Solari’s exemplary team of physicians, pharmacists, registered nurses, certified nursing aides, social workers, administrative staff and counselors are specially trained to offer the most compassionate and comforting care designed for each patient’s unique needs. To learn more about Solari Hospice Care, please visit www.solarihospice.com, e-mail info@solarihospice.net or follow @SolariHospice on Twitter or Facebook.

What began as a volunteer-driven, grassroots movement, has evolved to become a vital component of the healthcare system. The hospice industry now includes a mix of nonprofit, for-profit and governmental entities similar to other health-care sectors in the U.S. According to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s 2010 report, more than one million people in the United States received hospice care in 2009. It’s apparent that hospices meet a very important need in this country — and to infer that the primary motivation is financial does a disservice to the dedicated hospice staffs caring for their patients.

I’m not sure why having IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit status would equate to superior service for terminally ill patients. There is no correlation between the profit status of a hospice program and the quality of care provided. The target of inferior-care inquiries should not be for-profit hospices. Rather, we should expose ANY hospice that fails to provide patients with quality care, regardless of their tax status.

So what is similar between nonprofit and for-profit hospices? The regulations are identical. All licensed and certified hospices must comply with state law and the Code of Federal Regulations governing hospice care. In addition, Medicare’s reimbursement rate is fixed regardless of the care needs of individual patients, the services patients receive, or the tax status of the hospice providing the care.

I can hear your counterpoints already regarding how some nonprofit hospices go above and beyond the call of duty to provide more than what a typical hospice might offer. But providing Make-A-Wish dreams come true for patients can’t be achieved by nonprofits without raising some outside money. Many for-profit hospices have nonprofit foundations that also do those things. Solari Hospice Care could not provide its annual free, summer bereavement camps for children and their families without the Solari Hospice Foundation, which is designed to educate the community about end-of-life care, provide funding for supplemental services, as well as build a strong, philanthropic organization that enhances the hospice movement.

Furthermore, just because a company spends all its money each year to maintain their nonprofit status, doesn’t necessarily mean they spend it well or put the money back into the company. For those people who continue to pit nonprofit hospices against for-profit hospices, it’s my opinion that you are fighting the wrong battle. What we all should be advocating for is helping people to live with dignity and comfort by providing comprehensive and compassionate hospice care. Hospice practices, including quality of care, depend on an organization’s staff and leadership, not tax status. In any field of business, there are “good” companies and “bad” companies, and hospice is no different.

My focus has never been on what any company’s tax status is, ever. What I am focused on and passionate about is providing the highest quality of care to patients facing complex end-of-life issues. My education in health care administration and my experience in the health care field over the years have given me the opportunity to work with some of the most skilled doctors, nurses, specialists, counselors and caring staff members. And when I founded Solari Hospice Care in 2002, I knew that I wanted and expected the same level of passion and dedication from my staff in Las Vegas and Houston. Our patients deserve nothing less than excellent care specific to their unique needs. Ultimately, the most important measure of a hospice should be the quality of care provided to patients — not its tax status.

There’s no question that 2011 will go down as the year of the baby boomer. This year, the oldest of the baby boomers will come of age and turn 65, the year that traditionally signifies retirement age. The size and economic impact of this iconic generation is astounding. It’s hard to imagine that 79 million people are beginning to turn 65 every day for the next 19 years. Baby boomers control over 80% of personal financial assets and more than 50% of discretionary spending power. They are responsible for more than half of all consumer spending, buy 77% of all prescription drugs, 61% of OTC medication and 80% of all leisure travel.(1) Their sheer numbers will only increase. By 2030, there will be twice as many people over the age of 65 as there are now.(2) Great questions are looming however. Questions such as “Will Medicare be there for me when I need it?” “Who will help care for me when I can no longer care for myself?”

In the spirit of new year’s resolutions, and now that the hysteria that accompanied the health care reform debate has subsided, perhaps it’s time for an open discussion regarding the difficult end-of-life decisions that an increasing number of baby boomers and their aging parents face each year.

Many providers of hospice care, including Solari Hospice Care, praised the Medicare regulation that was to take effect January 1, 2011. The goal of the new regulation was to allow physicians, as part of a patient’s annual Medicare exam, to discuss end-of-life treatment, including advance directives. Unfortunately, just days after the new, end-of-life care plan took effect on January 1, it was disappointing to see the abrupt change of mind in Washington.

Conversations regarding end-of-life issues are difficult enough. The truth is nobody likes to talk about death or dying. However, the unfortunate reality is that more than 70 percent of the 2.3 million people who die in America each year face difficult decisions about end-of-life care. The best time to discuss end-of-life issues and wishes is with a clear head and before it’s really needed, ensuring that a person’s wishes are fulfilled even when they can no longer communicate them. It doesn’t need to be gloom and doom, but it does need to be pragmatic.

While we may not have predicted a change of mind regarding the end-of-life planning provision in Medicare legislation, this recent turn of events underscores the vital importance of Solari Hospice Care educating the Las Vegas and Houston communities in which it serves about the benefits of hospice care. While Medicare may not be facilitating advance care planning, there’s nothing stopping Solari Hospice Care from stepping to the plate and engaging its communities in conversations about options for end-of-life care.

According to the British Medical Journal (3), research has shown that advance care planning and patient-physician discussions result in a higher quality of life for patients and their family caregivers facing the end of a life. Although a delicate and difficult conversation, having end-of-life planning conversations with your family and loved ones before a crisis occurs can eliminate unwanted medical procedures, unnecessary pain and family strife.

Why are we so wimpy about having an end-of-life planning conversations then? A number of articles have reported that baby boomers are in a state of denial regarding their own aging and death and are leaving an undue economic burden on their children for their retirement and care. (4,5) No one is immune from the effects of aging, whether it’s in body or in mind. Not us or even our parents. I am encouraged though, to see a growing dialogue for boomers to manage aging and end-of-life issues as the generation ages.

In a recent report, health-care market research publisher Kalorama Information projects an 8 percent growth this year in the nearly $20 billion hospice market (6), hopefully enabling home care and hospice providers to push to the forefront of patient care in the coming years. Along with our inpatient home in Las Vegas, Solari Hospice Care is looking forward to the opening of its distinctive, free-standing inpatient home in Houston in the spring of 2011 to serve this growing need for compassionate and comforting care designed for each patient’s unique, individual needs. As always, I have no doubt that Solari Hospice Care’s exemplary interdisciplinary team of professionals will continue to be the benchmark for providing the best supportive and palliative care for people at the end of life.

(1) USA Today, Big-spending Boomers bend rules of marketing, November 16, 2010
(2) ThirdAge.com
(3) “The impact of advance care planning on end-of-life care in elderly patients,” British Medical Journal, December 2009
(4) “For aging boomers, denial is destiny,” by Richard Louv, SignOnSanDiego.com, June 2006
(5) “Boomer Generation Is in a State of Denial,” by Robert Samuelson, Realclearpolitics.com, January 2007
(6) “Long Term Care Market: Nursing Homes, Home Care, Hospice Care, and Assisted Living,” Kalorama Information, June 2010