The Aging and Disability Business Institute has presented The Independence Center with The John A. Hartford Foundation
2020 Business Innovation Award Honorable Mention. The Independence Center was recognized for its Hospital to Home (H2H) Pilot Program, an innovative care transitions program that connects individuals who are being released from the hospital to in-home services provided by community-based organizations. The award was presented to Patricia Yeager, CEO of The Independence Center, at the National Association for Area Agencies on Aging’s (n4a) Virtual Conference and Tradeshow earlier today.
Through its partnership with UCHealth Memorial Hospital, The Independence Center’s H2H Program has reduced hospital readmissions and avoidable emergency room visits, shortened the length of hospital stays and supported people with disabilities as they transition from medical settings back to their homes and communities. By ensuring that program participants have access to a range of community-based services including meals, transportation, prescription fulfillment, in-home care, home modifications and more, the H2H Program places addressing the social determinants of health at the core of its model—supporting the holistic underlying factors of an individual’s health during the transition from the hospital back to home.
“By working with UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central to help people with disabilities recover at home rather than in a nursing home, The Independence Center has created a better healing experience for the patient, decreased costs for the hospital and freed up beds for new patients, who are often waiting in the emergency department,” said Patricia Yeager, CEO of The Independence Center. “Through this partnership, we are able to assist the hospital with the social determinants of health—employment, food, benefits, etc.—and help them extend their healing mission into the community.”
The H2H program has demonstrated that when care transitions are supported, individuals are less likely to be readmitted to the hospital within 30 days. The program has also led to reduced health care spending, reduced avoidable emergency department visits and shorter lengths of stay among program participants. In the last year, the H2H program successfully transitioned 52 individuals with disabilities from the hospital back to their homes and is expecting even more in the coming year.
“n4a is delighted to recognize JASA and the runners-up for the John A. Hartford award. The award winner are innovators in the field that have developed programs to reduce health care costs and, most importantly, improve the well-being of older adults and people with disabilities,” said n4a CEO Sandy Markwood. “Each of the programs recognized today help ensure that the holistic needs of older adults and people with disabilities are met and addressed at the community level which is paramount to ensuring that they can continue to live at home and in the community across their lifespan.”
This year’s The John A. Hartford Foundation 2020 Business Innovation Award was presented to JASA, a community-based aging services provider in New York, NY, for its innovative care transitions program. In addition to The Independence Center, other runners-up were Homage Senior Services in Lynnwood, WA for its case management program and Lifespan of Greater Rochester in Rochester, NY for its Community Care Connections Program.
“We commend all of these organizations for their innovative approaches to ensuring the health and well-being of older adults and people with disabilities,” said Terry Fulmer, PhD, RN, FAAN, President of The John A. Hartford Foundation. “Age-friendly ecosystems require strong community-based organizations working in partnership with health systems and public health. These award-winning programs have the potential to transform care across systems and communities by serving as models for other programs around the country.”
About The John A. Hartford Foundation
The John A. Hartford Foundation, based in New York City, is a private, nonpartisan, national philanthropy dedicated to improving the care of older adults. The leader in the field of aging and health, the Foundation has three priority areas: creating age-friendly health systems, supporting family caregivers, and improving serious illness and end-of-life care. For more information, visit johnahartford.org and follow @johnahartford.
About the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging
The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging is a 501(c)(3) membership association representing America’s national network of 622 Area Agencies on Aging and providing a voice in the nation’s capital for the Title VI Native American aging programs. The mission of n4a is to build the capacity of its members so they can better help older adults and people with disabilities live with dignity and choices in their homes and communities for as long as possible. For more information, visit n4a.org and follow @n4aACTION.
About the Aging and Disability Business Institute
The mission of the Aging and Disability Business Institute is to build and strengthen partnerships between aging and disability community-based organizations and the health care system. The Business Institute receives funding from The John A. Hartford Foundation, The SCAN Foundation and the Administration for Community Living and is led by n4a.