Standardization and Scaling of a Community-Based Palliative Care Model.

Background: Although limited, the descriptions of Community-Based Palliative Care (CBPC) demonstrates variability in team structures, eligibility, and standardization across care settings.

Objective: In 2014, Four Seasons Compassion for Life, a nonprofit hospice and palliative care (PC) organization in Western North Carolina (WNC), was awarded a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Health Care Innovation (CMMI) Award to expand upon their existing innovative model to implement, evaluate, and demonstrate CBPC in the United States. The objective of this article is to describe the processes and challenges of scaling and standardizing the CBPC model.

Tracking Patients in Community-Based Palliative Care through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Healthcare Innovation Project.

Background: Although limited, the evidence base for Community-Based Palliative Care (CBPC) has shown that it improves patient health outcomes, increases satisfaction, and decreases cost. Minimal data exist comparing points of entry into palliative care and patient transition outcomes.

Objectives: In 2014, Four Seasons Compassion for Life was awarded a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Healthcare Innovation Award to expand an existing CBPC model into additional counties and to propose a new payment approach.