By David Edwards on June 17th, 2019

Media Contact:  David Edwards, Director of Communications
Phone:  501-748-3303
Email:  dedwards@arkansashospice.org

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (June 17, 2019) – Arkansas Hospice, the state’s largest provider of hospice care, has been named a 2019 recipient of the Hospice Honors Elite and Hospice Honors awards, which recognize agencies continuously providing the highest level of quality care.

The awards are presented by HEALTHCAREfirst, a software and data-gathering company that partners with thousands of hospice and home health agencies across the country. The awards are based on information analyzed from the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) hospice surveys, which are given to caregivers of hospice patients. The Hospice Honors awards were introduced in 2013, and Arkansas Hospice has been honored each year that the awards have been presented. This year, Arkansas Hospice is the only provider in the state, and one of only 59 in the nation, to receive the Hospice Honors Elite Award, which recognizes the top-performing hospices among the Hospice Honors program.

“Receiving the Hospice Honors awards again is a wonderful validation of the quality of care and service our staff provides every day,” said Judy Wooten, President and CEO of Arkansas Hospice. “We are passionate about what we do and grateful for the opportunity to serve our patients, families and communities at such a sacred time.”

Serving 43 counties, Arkansas Hospice is a not-for-profit organization caring for nearly 600 seriously ill patients each day in homes, nursing homes, hospitals, assisted living facilities and Arkansas Hospice inpatient centers. The Hospice Honors Elite Award recognizes Arkansas Hospice offices and inpatient centers in Little Rock, North Little Rock, Conway, Hot Springs, Monticello, Pine Bluff and Searcy. The Hospice Honors Award recognizes the organization’s locations in Batesville, Berryville, Rogers, and Russellville.

Award criteria were based on Hospice CAHPS survey results for an evaluation period of October 2017 through September 2018. Award recipients were identified by evaluating performance on a set of 24 quality indicator measures. Performance scores were aggregated from all completed surveys and were compared on a question-by-question basis to a National Performance Score calculated from all hospices contained in the HEALTHCAREfirst’s Hospice CAHPS database. Hospice Honors recipients include those hospices scoring above the HEALTHCAREfirst National Performance Score on 20 of the evaluated questions. HEALTHCAREfirst holds a special recognition, Hospice Honors Elite, to honor hospices scoring above the HEALTHCAREfirst National Performance Score on all 24 of the evaluated questions.