Challenges in finances and human suffering are pushing physicians to offer patients a new paradigm in health care delivery by providing a more holistic approach to the end of life care. The palliative care paradigm allows physicians to add value to the quality of life during the end of life stage while also shifting focus when appropriate. (Fine, 2004). Today, palliative care is the fastest growing medical specialty in the United States serving more than 1 million patients and their families each year. (Wendler, 2015). The Andreas Beck Inpatient Palliative Care unit at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center of Houston is a renowned palliative care unit, which opened in 2002. This unit provides a holistic approach to help ease the suffering of cancer patients
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Anderson Cancer Center of Houston should consider creating a non-profit program that would provide burial assistance to the family members of the patient that died while in palliative care. As of 2016, MD Anderson is ranked as the number one center for cancer care by the U.S. News and World Reports annual “Best Hospitals” rankings. With the extraordinary care that the hospital provides, offering this form of service would keep them at the top in ranking by staying true to their commitment to patients, innovation, mission, and outreach. (Jones, 2016). With the help of philanthropy, grants and donors, the burial assistance program would be the resource for families to use during the untimely experience of death. Not only would this program service the M.D. Anderson palliative care unit but also it could collaborate with like-minded hospitals and serve millions of patients so that their families can have access to this …show more content…
It will only be offered to those patients that were admitted to the palliative care unit at M.D. Anderson at the time of death. The requirements will be based on the total amount each patient has spent on medical bills, clinical trials, and prescription drugs during the last five years of their life. The qualifying amount will be determined based on an average determined by the average amount spent on each patient during those years. Detailed research and data will be analyzed based off of previous patients billing information at M.D. Anderson and the organization will partner with finance and accounting to attain those records. Donors, philanthropic endeavors, and grants that will be written and provided by the board will be the source of funds for this program. In order for family members to obtain information about this program, a program representative will make rounds each time a new patient is admitted to the palliative care unit to present to the family their options and let them know that financial help is available if they meet the requirements. In order to apply for the burial assistance program, family members will need to apply within the week of the time of the death of the patient. This can be done by mailing in a claim with the application or submitting all documents through the email provided
Anderson Cancer Center of Houston should consider creating a non-profit program that would provide burial assistance to the family members of the patient that died while in palliative care. As of 2016, MD Anderson is ranked as the number one center for cancer care by the U.S. News and World Reports annual “Best Hospitals” rankings. With the extraordinary care that the hospital provides, offering this form of service would keep them at the top in ranking by staying true to their commitment to patients, innovation, mission, and outreach. (Jones, 2016). With the help of philanthropy, grants and donors, the burial assistance program would be the resource for families to use during the untimely experience of death. Not only would this program service the M.D. Anderson palliative care unit but also it could collaborate with like-minded hospitals and serve millions of patients so that their families can have access to this …show more content…
It will only be offered to those patients that were admitted to the palliative care unit at M.D. Anderson at the time of death. The requirements will be based on the total amount each patient has spent on medical bills, clinical trials, and prescription drugs during the last five years of their life. The qualifying amount will be determined based on an average determined by the average amount spent on each patient during those years. Detailed research and data will be analyzed based off of previous patients billing information at M.D. Anderson and the organization will partner with finance and accounting to attain those records. Donors, philanthropic endeavors, and grants that will be written and provided by the board will be the source of funds for this program. In order for family members to obtain information about this program, a program representative will make rounds each time a new patient is admitted to the palliative care unit to present to the family their options and let them know that financial help is available if they meet the requirements. In order to apply for the burial assistance program, family members will need to apply within the week of the time of the death of the patient. This can be done by mailing in a claim with the application or submitting all documents through the email provided