• One of six Tier 2 Grants funded in part by the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute Community Partnership Program
• Objective is to generate data that supports expanding service coverage for hospice patients

HILLSBORO, OR Jan 31, 2019 – Care Partners Hospice & Palliative announced today that their project: Impact of Access to Single Fraction Radiation Therapy on Cancer Patients Enrolling in Hospice was awarded a grant supported by the Community Partnership Program.  Single fraction radiation is included in standard of care for patients enrolled in a palliative benefit, but is not currently available to hospice patients without revoking enrollment.  This novel effort to document single fraction radiation outcomes in people with advanced illness will evaluate impact on daily functioning, quality of life, and pain management including need for opioid pain medications.

Care Partners CEO Andy Kyler commented: “We are honored to receive this grant, which we hope will show the benefit of palliative radiation in patients with advanced cancer.  Patients enrolled on our hospice will have access to single fraction radiation and associated medical transportation at no cost.  As a non-profit founded over 35 years ago to care for people with cancer, we have expanded our services but continue to focus resources on this complex, high-need population and their families.”

Timur Mitin, MD, Radiation Oncologist who serves as Medical Director of the Tuality/OHSU Cancer Center added: “It is novel for hospice patients to have an opportunity to participate in a clinical study, particularly one that includes several important near-term outcomes.  We appreciate Care Partners’ interest in collaborating with us on this research, and we have redesigned our clinic flow so that hospice patients can be evaluated and treated on the same day, within a period of a few hours, to make the process as patient-centered as possible. ”

For medically eligible patients on service with Care Partners who choose to enroll in the study, single fraction radiation will be provided primarily by Tuality/OHSU Cancer Center.  Outcomes will be documented by Care Partners nursing staff.  The study is planned to start at the end of the first quarter, and will be offered in Care Partners’ five county service area.  Comparing outcomes of those who elect treatment with those who do not will generate new information to help future patients.  If the study meets its objective of demonstrating benefit in the hospice population, the data will be shared with payers, with the goal of adding palliative radiation to the covered hospice benefit.

About Care Partners

Care Partners offers both palliative care and “open access” hospice, with specialized options for cancer patients such as image-guided fluid removal and proprietary kits for managing specific symptoms.  For over 35 years, their non-profit mission has been to provide “Exceptional Care, without Exception”.  Care Partners is Medicare-certified and accredited by the Oregon Hospice & Palliative Care Association, and were chosen by their employees for the 5^th year as one of the 100 Best Non-Profits to Work For.  Care Partners is a founding member of the Oregon Non-Profit Hospice Alliance (ONHA), which includes community-based organizations across the state working together to bring the best supportive care to all Oregonians.

For more information, please visit www.carepartnersor.org

Media Contact: Andy Kyler, RN, CEO: andy.kyler@carepartnersor.org

• Innovative cooperative model is being implemented for the first time in Oregon
• Four founding members serve about half of all Oregon counties: Care Partners Hospice & Palliative, Lumina Hospice & Palliative Care, Hospice of Redmond & Klamath Hospice

HILLSBORO, OR Jan 30, 2019 – The Oregon Non-profit Hospice Alliance (ONHA) is announcing its debut as an organization that will sustain and grow community-based hospice agencies in support of seriously ill Oregonians and their families.  Member agencies have been operating in their respective service areas for more than 30 years, and embody the original hospice movement’s dedication to put people above profits.

“Being part of ONHA means we can do even more for our communities”, said ONHA CEO Kelly Beard.  “Alliance members are sharing best practices and working together on innovations to support exceptional community-based hospice and palliative care.”

ONHA is patterned after successful non-profit alliances in other states.  Ohio’s Hospice, one of ONHA’s models, began in 2013 with three affiliates and has since tripled in size to nine, in addition to entering into joint ventures and partnerships with other community organizations.

Andy Kyler, CEO of Care Partners, commented: “ONHA members are proud to put collaboration ahead of competition to ensure that the benefits of non-profit care are accessible to all Oregonians”.

ONHA affiliates will continue to offer direct care services and raise funds for their local communities.  The alliance will accept donations to promote the benefits of non-profit hospice statewide.

ONHA’s member services include:

• Peer quality benchmarking
• Best-practice implementation
• Shared efficiencies and economies of scale
• Development of programs and outcome measures for payer contracting

“It’s really simple: our members provide more care for every dollar spent” added ONHA Board Chair Ilene Kleinsorge.  “We don’t have profit targets set by a financial executive in another state.  Our boards come from the communities we serve and give our agencies the latitude to do what’s best to support people through the end-of-life process”.

About ONHA:  ONHA is a registered Oregon non-profit, representing non-profit hospices state-wide who are collaborating to achieve mutually-assured success.  ONHA’s CEO works with a board of directors composed of each affiliate’s Executive Director and one board member, to ensure equal representation among members.

Media Contact: Kelly Beard, CEO, Kelly.beard@onhanetwork.org, 503-213-1095