FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 10/14/22
HOSPICE AND HOME CARE OF JUNEAU PROGRAM TO SUSPEND SERVICES DUE
TO STAFFING SHORTAGE
JUNEAU, AK: Hospice and Home Care of Juneau will be discharging all patients from hospice and home health services effective October 19, 2022. We are unable to continue provide services due to lack of registered nursing staff.
The State of Alaska and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have been informed and been provided sufficient notice of its planned cessation of business.
The seventeen-home health and two hospice patients and caregivers have been informed. Unfortunately, there is not another agency in Juneau to assume the care of these patients, so patients will follow up with their physicians to develop individual plans to address their medical needs. Patients and caregivers have been educated on when to call 911 for immediate life-threatening illness. Supplies required for the caregivers and patients have been left in the home.
Catholic Community Service continues to maintain volunteer staff including chaplains and volunteers and encourages hospice patients (and patients at end-of-life) to request spiritual support and volunteer services by calling 907-463-6111.
Catholic Community Service is coordinating with Bartlett Regional Hospital and is hopeful that both hospice and home health services will become available in Juneau soon.
We appreciate your support during this difficult transition.
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View the PDF version here
TO STAFFING SHORTAGE
JUNEAU, AK: Hospice and Home Care of Juneau will be discharging all patients from hospice and home health services effective October 19, 2022. We are unable to continue provide services due to lack of registered nursing staff.
The State of Alaska and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have been informed and been provided sufficient notice of its planned cessation of business.
The seventeen-home health and two hospice patients and caregivers have been informed. Unfortunately, there is not another agency in Juneau to assume the care of these patients, so patients will follow up with their physicians to develop individual plans to address their medical needs. Patients and caregivers have been educated on when to call 911 for immediate life-threatening illness. Supplies required for the caregivers and patients have been left in the home.
Catholic Community Service continues to maintain volunteer staff including chaplains and volunteers and encourages hospice patients (and patients at end-of-life) to request spiritual support and volunteer services by calling 907-463-6111.
Catholic Community Service is coordinating with Bartlett Regional Hospital and is hopeful that both hospice and home health services will become available in Juneau soon.
We appreciate your support during this difficult transition.
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View the PDF version here
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 6/28/2022
CATHOLIC COMMUNITY SERVICE SEEKING PARTNERS TO MAINTAIN HOSPICE AND HOME HEALTH SERVICES
Unprecedented increase in expenses making it difficult to provide services
JUNEAU, AK: Since 2003, Catholic Community Service has been proud to operate Hospice and Home Care of Juneau. We have provided Medicare-certified hospice and home health services to the people of Juneau since 2006.
Like many other hospice and home health programs across the nation, as the national health care worker shortage continues, and the cost of health care staff and other expenses skyrocket, we are finding it increasingly difficult to manage the rising costs of doing business. Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance payments for patient services are not keeping up with these unprecedented increases in expenses.
Catholic Community Service and Hospice and Home Care of Juneau’s mission is not only to provide excellent end-of-life and home-based health care to those in need, but to work to ensure that the people of Juneau can count on having hospice and home health services available when they need it. To that end, we are in the process of reaching out to partners and others who want to maintain these vital services for our community to explore options to preserve hospice and home health for the community of Juneau.
If you have questions or need further information, please contact Executive Director Erin Walker-Tolles at Catholic Community Service.
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View PDF version here
