Hospice of Sacred Heart, an agency of PeaceHealth Oregon, experienced a dramatic increase in its census beginning in 2007. The spiritual care team noticed the number of referrals was decreasing while the census was increasing. A quality improvement initiative was conducted, including a staff survey, an education program about spirituality and the role of chaplains on interdisciplinary teams in the hospice setting, and an audit of the chaplain's daily allocation of time. These actions resulted in an increase in the use of spiritual care services by patients and staff and the addition of two full-time, benefited chaplain positions.
National Consensus Project for Quality Palliative Care. (2013). Clinical practice guidelines for quality palliative care (3rd ed). Pittsburgh, PA: National Consensus Project for Quality Palliative Care. Retrieved April 25, 2013 from http://www.nationalconsensusproject.org/guideline.pdf
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National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO). (2001). Guidelines for spiritual care in hospice. (NHPCO Publication No. 820015). Alexandria, VA: NHPCO.
PulchalskiC. M.FerrellB. (2010). Making health care whole. West Conshohocken, PA: Templeton.
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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2009). Medicare conditions of participation for hospice. Chapter 4: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office.
