United Hospice of Rockland, Inc.
2014 Annual Report
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Table of Contents
Page
3
Mission, Vision, Values
Board of Directors
3
Staffing
3
The Year’s Highlights
3-5
Community Outreach
5-9
Clinical Services
9-12
Joe Raso Hospice Residence
12
Volunteer Program
13-15
Development Program
15-23
Performance Improvement
23-26
Goals for 2015
26
Tables/Statistics
27-32
Addendum A-2014 Board of Directors
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Addendum B –Financial Overview
34
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UNITED HOSPICE OF ROCKLAND, INC.
2014 Annual Report
Mission, Vision, Values
United Hospice of Rockland, Inc. (UHR) is a Medicare/Medicaid certified, NYS licensed,
JCAHO accredited, not-for-profit corporation. UHR provides care, hope, comfort and improved
quality of life to individuals and their families facing serious illness. We offer compassionate
support to members of our community who have experienced the loss of a loved one. We lead
the health and human services community in improving the provision of care to those affected by
serious illness.
United Hospice of Rockland envisions a community in which all individuals facing serious
illness retain their dignity and hope while receiving the best care and support that hospice has to
offer.
We value:
 the dignity of those we serve and their rights to choice and self-determination.
 and are committed to enhancing the quality of life for those we serve.
 and respect the variety of cultural and religious traditions within our community.
 families and loved one as our partners in providing care.
 those who invest in our mission by providing philanthropic support.
 our professional staff and volunteers; we recognize their achievements and provide
education and support for their personal and professional growth.
Board of Directors
United Hospice of Rockland was incorporated in June of 1987. The maximum number of members
that can be elected to the Board is sixteen. See Addendum A for 2014 board roster.
Staffing
The staff is comprised of professional, paraprofessional, support and volunteer staff on a full-time,
part-time and per-diem basis staff. UHR provides a number of services on a contractual basis,
including but not limited to, durable medical equipment and supplies, pharmaceuticals, and home
health aides.
The Year’s Highlights
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During 2014, United Hospice of Rockland, Inc. provided services to 768 patients and
families. (Included in this figure is 59 patients/families who were carried over from 2013,
693 patients and families admitted in 2014 and 16 additional duplicated admissions.) This
represents an 8.3% decrease in the number of patients and families served. UHR provided
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25025 days of care to those we served. This is a decrease of 9050 days over 2013. This
disturbing statistic was due to due to a variety of factors: the increasing number of
individuals receiving aggressive disease directed treatment making them ineligible to
receive hospice services, the increasingly large number of patients who are referred very
close to death which has led to shrinking average and median lengths of stay and an
accompanying decrease in average daily census, along with the cautiousness exerted in
discharging living patients who no longer appear to meet criteria that justify remaining on
the program.
Three hundred thirty (46.5%) of patients served were diagnosed with cancer and three
hundred seventy-nine patients served (54.5%) had a broad array of non-cancer diagnoses.
This was roughly equivalent to the pattern over the last several years. Six hundred thirty
(95%) of patient deaths occurred in the home setting. The home setting includes patients
who resided in nursing homes, assisted living facilities and group homes and the Joe Raso
Hospice Residence. The remaining 30 deaths (5%) occurred in the hospital. The majority of
deaths occurring in the hospital were due to the significant number of hospitalized patients
referred to us whose deaths were imminent and remained in the hospital. Seventy (70)
patients were cared for in area nursing homes accounting for 2369 days of care. A plan for
2015 has been put in place to increase the number of patients cared for in area nursing
homes.
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The Joe Raso Residence served 306 patients and families at the residence
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Colleen Velten, RN, CHPN was selected as the recipient of the 2013 Harvey Pachter Award for
Staff Excellence.
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UHR volunteers provided hours of service yielding a cost savings of $529,549.34.
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UHR created its first diagnostic specific hospice initiative, HeartWise, a program designed
for advanced cardiac patients and their families.
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UHR had our first successful deemed status survey by the Joint Commission. UHR may be the
only hospice in New York State with this designation. Deemed status enabled us to receive
Joint Commission Accreditation and Medicare certification / NYS licensure simultaneously.
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All nurses and social workers who have been employed at UHR for three years have
successfully achieved their Hospice and Palliative Care Certification. In addition, Dr.
Chmielewski this year earned Board certification in Hospice and Palliative Medicine.

UHR received a Pride of Clarkstown Award. The program is designed to recognize
outstanding commercial properties, nominated by individuals and civic organizations for
their efforts to beautify their properties and in turn the Town of Clarkstown.
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2014 total fundraising income of $1,131,000 increased $100,000 (nearly ten percent) over
2013, and exceeded 2014 budget projections by more than $200,000 (twenty-three percent).
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This included our 2014 Dancing with Our Stars Gala which was SOLD OUT, and raised a
record $164,000.
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After many years of climbing revenues, Tree of Life finally broke the $100K mark, raising
$113,000.
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Youth for Hospice continues grow in membership and visibility; continued interest in
formation of new chapters; the Danceathon had record attendance and raised record amount.
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Second direct mail appeal raised $19,000, assuring us that this is an effort we can continue
in future years without detriment to other fundraising activities.
Community Outreach
Our organizational mission of “leading the health and human services community in improving
the provision of care to those affected by serious illness” was a guide for our outreach activities.
By educating the community as well as healthcare providers, our goal is to improve end of life
care through education and outreach.
Compassionate care should begin within the healthcare system and the education that was
provided this year is a testament to this statement. Educational programs and newsletters were
provided to hundreds of professionals, paraprofessionals and those in institutions of higher
learning. In addition to formal education programs, we met with strategic partners in hospitals
and nursing homes to better understand their needs, the needs of their patients and the best way
to achieve better outcomes.
UHR participated in the educational programs and/or meetings at area colleges and healthcare
affiliates:
 Nyack Hospital Hospitalists and Case Managers
 Nyack and Good Samaritan Hospital Emergency Room Staff
 Helen Hayes Hospital Medical Director
 Advance Cardiovascular Care of the Hudson Valley
 Doctors Richard King and Domenic Monaco, Valley Cottage
 Hackensack University Medical Center at Pascack Valley
 Leadership Rockland Healthcare and Emergency Services Day
 Jawonio Case Manager, Michelle Murray
 Presentation to Nurses and staff members at Camp Venture, Sparkill
 Home Aides of Rockland
 Rockland Pulmonary and other community physicians (Dr. Adrienne Wasserman, Susan
Dreiss-Carol, Dr. Monaco, Dr. King, Dr. Ibelli, Dr. Ventrudo and Dr. Lin)
 Dr. Chmielewski continued to serve on the cancer committees at both NH and GSH.
NURSING EDUCATION
Presentations to and/or committee membership for
 Nurse Recognition Day Committee
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Rockland Community College Nursing Students
Professional Nurses Association
R.N. to BSN program at Dominican College
In an effort to help the community better understand our program and utilize it when the time
comes, UHR staff provided education about hospice, bereavement and advance directives to the
community through senior groups, senior residences, and other community organizations and
events:
 Nyack Senior Center
 Jewish Family Services
 New City Library – Care and Compassion film presented
 St. Thomas Aquinas College, presentation on working in a nonprofit organization
 Bill Batson/Sylvia Peters – strategized outreach to African American community
 Faith based communities: Temple Beth Torah, Temple Beth Sholom, Germonds and
Palisades Presbyterian Church and Gracepoint Gospel
 Assisted Living Facilities: Esther Gitllow – spoke to residents and staff about UHR
programs and services; Tappan Zee Manor – showed Honor Flight movie to residents and
staff members; Nyack Manor and Northern Riverview
 Health Fairs/Community Events: RCC Senior Awareness Day, David Carlucci Health
Fair Day, JFS Authors Event and The Retirement Puzzle, Nyack’s Art Walk – “Changing
the Way We Die” with Fran Smith, and Rockland Ombudsman Training
Specific Programs and Areas of Outreach
TOUCHING LIVES MAGAZINE:
This customized magazine is designed to help communities better understand end of life issues,
using a variety of articles written with a sensitive touch. During 2014, about 2,500 magazines
were distributed by volunteers and the Community Liaison to approximately 30 locations
including doctor’s offices, hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, clinics and other community
centers.
LOOKING FORWARD:
The Rockland County Office for the Aging publishes a newsletter that is sent to seven thousand
(7,000) senior citizens every month. In 2014, UHR’s Community Liaison submitted four articles
about hospice.
SPIRITUAL CARE COMMITTEE:
This committee was formed to forge a stronger relationship with community clergy and the
following church communities are represented: Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist,
Presbyterian, Evangelical, and Jewish. UHR’s Spiritual Care Coordinators and Community
Liaison met to discuss issues of interest to the community and hosted two meetings at UHR in
2014. UHR developed a new Interfaith Connection e-newsletter in conjunction with the spiritual
care leaders that were distributed to over 150 clergy in Rockland, two e-newsletters were sent out
in 2014.
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PUBLIC RELATIONS:
 Issued 20 press releases for UHR to promote and recap fundraising events, as well as
other UHR community stories to local media and publications
 Posted various articles, events and other important news on UHR’s Facebook and Twitter
pages; Patch.com; Lohud.com, etc.
 Created new LinkedIn page for United Hospice of Rockland
 Established relationships with several local news media representatives to keep UHR in
the forefront of local news for health and nonprofit organizations
 Joe Raso Hospice Residence received a Pride of Clarkstown Award at Town Hall
Meeting in February 2014. The JRHR was recognized as an outstanding commercial
property that made a significant investment in upgrading its property and benefitting the
community by doing so.
 County Executive Ed Day and County Legislator Barry Kantrowitz established
Proclamations for Healthcare Decisions Day (April 16, 2014) in Rockland County to help
UHR communicate the importance of establishing advance directives and have the
difficult conversations with family members about end-of-life care.
 Healing Hearts Program: Memorial Rock Garden Dedication on June 18, 2014
encouraged children to place a hand painted rock in the garden in memory of their loved
one.
 Community Liaison led the effort of creating a new patient video which was shown for
the first time at UHR’s Annual Gala in October 2014 and posted on UHR’s
YouTube.com page.
o John O’Hara was a patient on UHR who wanted to share his wonderful
experience being on Hospice, so a video was created about him sharing his
personal experience and journey while on hospice care. He was most grateful for
the pain management and improving his quality of life.
 Attended several Nonprofit Budget Rallies, which included UHR and numerous
nonprofits throughout the community to publicly speak out against the proposed budget
cuts. The collaborative effort was successful in getting the funding reinstated for
nonprofits in Rockland County.
ADVERTISING/MARKETING:
 UHR and The Byne Group won a Silver Award for the HeartWise logo and a Gold
Award for the HeartWise website at the Big W Award Gala which celebrated the best
work of top creative professionals in advertising, marketing, public relations and
photography.
 Email marketing campaigns: Developed new schedule to streamline communications for
email marketing in 2014. Sent out six Timely Matters e-newsletters to all Hospice
distribution list to provide an overview of what’s going on at UHR; Event Updates email
was sent out bi-monthly (6 times in 2014) to inform people about UHR events and one
MD Update went out n March 2014 to introduce the HeartWise Program.
 Various email updates were sent out through the year regarding specific events,
fundraising, raffles, important topics, etc. as needed to inform and educate UHR
supporters.
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Launched the new HeartWise hospice program which was designed to serve advanced
cardiac disease patients and their families. A new brochure, print ad, digital ad and new
website were created.
o Sent out MD Update email introducing HeartWise to medical professionals
o Presented Heartwise program at Professional Aging Network meeting
o Heartwise print and digital ads ran in the following media: The Journal
News/lohud.com, Rivertown, Rockland Review, Our Town, Nyack Villager,
Rockland Essentials, The Jewish Standard and Cablevision News 12.com
Website: Updated the UHR website to make it more user-friendly and provide a logical
online format as it pertains to the programs and services that UHR provides. Added UHR
News and Announcement feed to home page, added more giving opportunities to JRHR
page. New Donate Online feature added to homepage and included on every page, which
eliminated the usage and fees for Network for Good donations page. Added more
relevant content/articles to Website to make it more timely and current. Due to the
increasing number of individuals who access the internet on a mobile device, UHR
developed a mobile version of our website.
VETERANS:
 Annual Veterans Recognition Event took place on November 7, 2014 at West Point that
included a guided bus tour, brunch and recognition program at the West Point Club.
Sponsors of the event: Presenting Sponsor was Dignity Memorial and other sponsor was
Barry Fixler. The program highlight was the guided bus tour through West Point, which
was very well received. Over 150 veterans attended and were pinned; including some
family members and caregivers. Fourteen volunteers helped at this event, including UHR
staff to make the event successful.
 Community Liaison served as representative for UHR on Hudson Valley Vets Assoc. We
Honor Vets monthly conference calls.
 Community Liaison attended Honor Flight Welcome Home
 Hudson Valley Hospice Veteran’s Partnership: Honor Flight Program
REFERRAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
 One hundred and sixty one (161) thank you notes to referring physicians were hand
written by a volunteer with information provided from the Help Center Nurse.
AFFILIATIONS:
Amy Stern, Executive Director
 Board Member, Hospice & Palliative Care Association of NYS: member, Good Samaritan
Hospital Ethics Committee; member, Rockland Business Exchange; member, New City
Rotary; member, Rockland Business Women’s Network;, member, Institute for Non-Profits
Donna Branca, Director of Marketing and Public Relations
 Professional Aging Network, RBA Women’s Forum Group, National Healthcare Decision
Day NYS Coalition
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Bonnie Walsh, Clinical Liaison
 Chair, United Hospice of Rockland Ethics Committee, Rockland County Professional Nurse
Association, Coordinator, Leadership Rockland’s Healthcare and Emergency Services Day
Karen Damiani, Human Resources Manager
 Haverstraw Collaborative and Spring Valley Collaborative
Lanie Etkind, Director of Development
 Continued to serve as President of the Rockland Development Council, and plays an active
role in the planning and implementation of RDC’s annual Philanthropy Day in Rockland
County event, Member of the Advisory Board of the Rockland Community Foundation.
Clinical Services
A. Physician and Nursing Services
In 2014, UHR provided care for numerous medically complex cases requiring intensive, cuttingedge, specialist-level symptom management techniques. In addition, initiatives were
implemented in 2014 to monitor and improve clinical practice and regulatory compliance.
Educational Accomplishments of 2014
All staff benefited from UHR's purchase of an online education program (Relias Learning) to
satisfy mandated training requirements, and to allow staff to access additional relevant
educational programs for self-improvement and continuing education credits.
Dr. Chmielewski continued ongoing monitoring of over a dozen medical journals and other
publications so that UHR patients could continue to benefit from cutting-edge research findings
and advances. All staff received periodic emails summarizing medical literature relevant to our
practice.
Clinical staff received several lectures including "End-of-Life Care for Cardiac Patients",
"Approaching the Terminally Ill Cardiac Patient/Introduction to HeartWise", and "Critical
Incident Workplace Trauma". Clinical staff attended several webinars including "Managing
Client Expectations" and "My Life, My Choices".
Several skills labs were provided to staff this year. Nurses were provided a skills labs focusing
on placement and care of intravenous lines. Home Health Aides (HHAs) were provided skills
labs on topics including transfer techniques, proper use of Hoyer lifts, skin care, care of
gastrostomy tubes, and listening skills.
UHR's orientation program for new nurses was expanded to include intensive training in the
management of pain and non-pain symptoms.
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Clinical Quality Improvement Accomplishments of 2014
UHR contracted with a new medical supplier to improve quality of products used and decrease
costs. A full analysis will be completed in January 2015, and the anticipated savings is a 25%
cost reduction.
Documentation practices among clinical staff continued to be emphasized and monitored. All
staff have met the organizational goal of 80% compliance with point-of-service documentation.
Every nurse has completed training to perform hospital admissions, discharges, and revisits.
At the recommendation of our software vendor, a new format was established for the biweekly
interdisciplinary team meeting. This efficiently incorporates the completion of required
documentation into the meeting, freeing staff from what was previously a significant
documentation burden. This has decreased after-hours documentation, increased regulatory
compliance, and improved staff satisfaction.
Following the survey by the Joint Commission, two new programs/policies were established as a
result of the survey: a fall prevention program/policy and an infection control program and
policy.
Clinical leadership developed protocols to clarify the transfer of patients between the community
and the Joe Raso Hospice Residence.
Substantial research was conducted regarding selection of a vendor to enable UHR prescribers to
meet the legal mandate of electronic prescribing of controlled substances that becomes effective
March 27, 2015.
Adapting to New Regulations from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
2014
As mandated by CMS, UHR implemented the process to have staff ask all patients and families
the seven questions in the Hospice Item Set. This data is then submitted to CMS on every
admission and again on every discharge. Eventually, UHR will be measured against other
hospices nationally on the measures in this data set.
This year, CMS initially mandated that prescriptions for medications not related to a hospice
patient's terminal illness must be preauthorized by their primary physician and by their Medicare
Part D sponsor. When implemented, this mandate created a tremendous increase in workload, a
significant obstacle to patients receiving needed medications, and a disincentive for hospice
referrals/elections. While hospices attempted to adapt to this sweeping change, our industry
fortunately prevailed upon CMS to significantly revise this mandate, limiting it to only four
classes of medications (antiemetics, analgesics, anxiolytics, and laxatives).
A new mandate (CR8358) required that (1) On Medicare bills, postmortem visits be separated
from visits made prior to death and (2) all medications be submitted on the bill. Staff training
was required to ensure compliance with this measure.
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B. Counseling Services
Provident Bank Hope and Healing Center
UHR’s bereavement support programs provided an array of support services to our hospice
families as well as bereaved persons in the community. Adult bereavement groups (for loss of a
spouse, parent, sibling and other types of loss) met for a fixed number of sessions with a distinct
beginning and end. At the end of the group, those needing extended counseling were referred to
community mental health professions. One Hundred eight (108) individuals participated in
these groups; 57 were hospice family members, 51 were community bereaved.
In addition to the above groups, UHR continued to provide support to grieving parents. The
group known as OUR KIDS met twice a month throughout the year. Twenty-nine (29) parents
attended this group in 2014. Two were hospice families and 27 were community bereaved. A
parent who is a member of the group since inception, reached out to newly bereaved parents
prior to their attendance at the group to provide them with support and increase their comfort
when they came to the group.
The Stepping Out Group, designed for those individuals who have been through a bereavement
group but were looking to find new outlets for socialization, met monthly at UHR. There were
18 participants; 9 hospice family members and 9 community bereaved.
The groups served a total of 155 individuals which included 68 hospice family members and 87
community bereaved.
UHR continued to offer Healing Hearts, the only program in our community for bereaved
children and their loved ones, coordinated by Dr. Sharami Kerr, PhD. In 2014, we served 16
families including 14 adults and 26 children. The culmination of the Healing Hearts program
was the annual rock garden event held at the end of the school year. Children decorated and
“planted rocks” in a newly revitalized garden to memorialize their deceased loved. A celebration
including entertainment, face painting by Youth for Hospice volunteers and ice cream followed.
Individual Bereavement Counseling
UHR provided individual counseling and support for hospice families and community bereaved.
In additional to the employed staff, UHR provided clinical oversight of several mental health
counseling interns and post-Masters of Counseling graduates (that are fulfilling the required
hours necessary to allow them to sit for their license). Each intern carried a small bereavement
caseload as well as doing group work.
The number of individual sessions provided was 990: 583 sessions were provided to 172 hospice
family members and 407 community bereaved sessions were provided to 103 non-hospice family
members. The total number of clients served 275.
C. Complementary Therapies
Hospice care addresses the needs of the mind, body and spirit. Therefore, UHR believes that
complementary therapies can play an important role in relieving stress, bringing comfort and
connect us all to our humanness. To this end, UHR’s massage therapists have given a total of
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433 massages to 130 patients. The massage therapist performed reflexology, massage and Reiki
that brought comfort and relief to our patients both at home and at the JRHR.
The music therapist provided joy through music by making 280 visits to 88 patients.
D. Spiritual Care
UHR provides spiritual care to those patients who desire it. Our spiritual care coordinators
(SCC) journey with patients, provide support for staff, assist in memorial services and other
religious rites that are meaningful. We uphold the importance of holistic care of individuals by
addressing the connections between physical, psychological and spiritual well-being. Regardless
of faith belief (or lack of faith belief), they provide a listening ear and a compassionate presence.
Part of their role as SCCs was to represent UHR and be a resource for end-of-life care in the
clergy community. Our SCCs participate on our Spiritual Care Advisory Committee in an effort
to educate community clergy about hospice and end-of-life issues, build relationships and assist
them with meeting end-of-life needs of their congregants.
E. Social Work
The social work staff provided psychosocial support, educated and advocated for patients and
families. Their interventions played a critical role in helping patients and families adjust to the
ever-changing status of patients. They aided in improving quality of life by enlisting other team
members such as massage and music therapists. The community social workers also partnered
with other agencies including Veteran’s Administration, CASA and Office of the Aging to
secure supplemental personal care and respite services that were needed to improve quality of
life for patients and strengthen coping skills for family members.
Hospital team social workers worked with the hospital team nurses to conduct admission
assessments and collaborated on the development and implementation of appropriate discharge
plans. The hospital social workers often found patients and families in crisis and used their
counseling skills to decrease anxiety and guide the patient/family towards acceptance of hospice
services. The skilled nursing facilities with which we contract continue to have dedicated UHR
social workers that met the needs of hospice nursing home residents as well as to foster
relationships and provide education of and support for the nursing home staff.
Joe Raso Hospice Residence
2014 brought continued growth and change to the Joe Raso Hospice Residence. The end of 2014
signaled the end of the third year of operations of the residence. We cared for approximately 306
patients and families – an increase of over 20% from 2013.
We saw continued growth in revenue, exceeding our budget projections in Medicare, commercial
insurance and private room and board dollars and doubling our projected fundraising revenue
from JRHR specific donations. For the first time, we conducted a successful annual campaign
highlighting the work at the residence. Our patient expenses were lower by more than $150,000
of budgeted dollars.
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JRHR is still being “discovered” by those in and outside of Rockland County. In 2014, we
hosted many tours and also brought our show on the road. Those newly impressed included case
managers at Nyack and Good Samaritan Hospitals, staff from Promenade at Blue Hill, oncology
practice professionals from Columbia Presbyterian, private physicians from across the County,
staff from the Office for the Aging, VNSW, Villa Marie Clare, a key chaplain from
Metropolitan Jewish Hospice who resides in our community and an important Islamic
community leader. Although done for educational purposes, the mentoring of nursing students
from Nyack and Dominican Colleges helped to spread the word.
Our outdoor space was enhanced by a variety of initiatives: a courtyard fountain and sculptures
along our pond path created and donated by artist Eric Laxman, a commitment by Tim Englert to
provide an Knickerbocker bench for additional outdoor seating will be added in 2015, plantings
were added around the pond during the summer and our annual vegetable and herb garden
provided a hearty bounty during the late spring and summer thanks to the effort of the
Clarkstown Garden Club and the hospice volunteers who tended it.
A piano was donated by a grateful family and resides in our great room.
The end of 2014 brought a major change to the way food is delivered to our patients and families
as our Unidine contract was brought to a close and a private chef was hired. The volunteer
program continued to provide extensive support to the JRHR dining program.
UHR Volunteer Program
Direct Care Volunteers:
Our direct care volunteers continue to provide excellent service to the patients and families we
serve. Various volunteer programs such as Pet Therapy, Gift Baskets, Healing Hearts, and
volunteers’ extensive involvement at the Joe Raso Hospice Residence (JRHR) improve the
quality of life for our patients and families, and increase the satisfaction of our volunteers. Youth
for Hospice, outreach to special needs populations seeking job site training, and coordination
with Eagle Scout candidates contribute to the operational efficiency of the agency and
simultaneously help to educate diverse groups of County residents about hospice services. All
these programs extend the range and effectiveness of volunteer services for the agency and for
the volunteers themselves .
Highlights:
 Recruitment and Retention: During 2014, 342 individuals volunteered for UHR. Work
site opportunities for at-risk individuals who function as volunteers are an important
contribution to creating meaningful work for special needs individuals. Collaborative
relationships with the Special Education Program at Clarkstown South, ARC, BOCES,
the Court of Rockland County, and middle and high schools throughout the county
provide community service hours for those who need them, and a steady stream of
clerical staff whose volunteering is a support for UHR staff. Speaking engagements at
the Suffern Rotary, veterans’ groups, and Rockland Community College educate
individuals about volunteer opportunities with UHR. Ongoing volunteer support
meetings, regular supervision, one-to-one education, and increased expression of
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appreciation from paid staff to volunteers enhance volunteer satisfaction, ensuring that
we continue to have a stable and committed group of volunteers available to assist us in
realizing our mission.
Joe Raso Hospice Residence: Volunteers have been an integral part of the Residence’s
third year in operation. Currently, each shift but one is staffed by trained and committed
volunteers. Pet Therapy has been well-received at the residence, and well- integrated into
the life of the residents who opt for these visits. A volunteer served as a scheduling
coordinator and did an excellent job of attempting to ensure that all shifts are covered.
When a volunteer was unable to be at his/her shift, and for those shifts that did not have a
regularly scheduled volunteer assigned to them, she drew from a substitute list of 10 to
try and fill those slots.
Food Service at JRHR: After training was provided, volunteers ably assisted in the
residence in the kitchen. Most regularly scheduled JRHR volunteers were willing to help,
and an additional 4 volunteers have been trained and enlisted to fill in on days to
supplement the support given by the JRHR Volunteers.
Gift Basket Program: The gift baskets continued to bring joy to our patients and
families. 32 gift baskets were delivered this year. Two individuals created the baskets
and supplemented the needed toiletries and small gifts that staff used to supply through
larger and more frequent donations.
The Volunteer Council: Worked to improve the inclusion of volunteers as part of the
care team -- which was the impetus for its creation. In addition, the Council was
instrumental in planning and implementing a successful annual volunteer appreciation
dinner, soliciting raffle items, arranging table decorations and centerpieces, greeting
guests, and ensuring all attendees felt welcomed and appreciated
Pet Therapy Program: During 2014, we had 4 pet therapy teams available to visit
patients and families in private homes, SNFs, and JRHR.
Volunteer Documentation and Reporting: Education and encouragement has raised the
level of prompt reporting of hours given by volunteers. Currently, 93% of our Volunteers
report their hours within 7 days. We continue to work with the others to encourage them
to submit their documentation in a timely fashion.
Education and Outreach: The Coordinator of Volunteer Support Services continued to
offer an annual training at the Fishkill Correctional Facility. This is an opportunity to
provide education regarding hospice philosophy and services to individuals, both inmates
and staff, who have many misconceptions regarding hospice care. In 2014, seven
Corrections Officers, 3 RNs, 2 HHAs, and numerous administrative staff were educated.
Fifteen new inmate hospice aides were trained. Although the facility is in Dutchess
County, many of its staff are Rockland residents. Inmates count, too. Many return to
minority communities in Rockland and are committed to educating those communities
about hospice services and benefits.
Numbers:
Direct Care Volunteers:
 163 of our Hospice patients and families were assigned at least one volunteer for
companionship, respite, and emotional support in the community
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Of those living at home, in SNFs, and ALFs, 23 benefited from the Care Partners
Program in which more than one volunteer was assigned to meet the diverse needs of
patients and families.
13 new Direct Care Volunteers completed training and the background, health, and
privacy documentation.
7 patients received pet therapy in their homes while all JRHR residents had the
opportunity for pet therapy in the residence; 14 patients received much-appreciated
haircuts from one of our Volunteers; 4 patients and their families received legal advice
and help from one of our volunteers who is an attorney with writing wills, deciding on
OAs, and creating advance directives .
Non-Direct Volunteers:
 63 new volunteers became involved in supporting office staff, fundraising staff, and/or
participating in special events and fundraising efforts.
Education for Volunteers:
 Quarterly support meetings are offered to volunteers
 2 Direct Care trainings
 Vigil Care training for JRHR volunteers
 Food safety and service training for JRHR volunteers
 Mouth care training for JRHR volunteers
 JRHR orientation and support meetings to address the specific realities of working in the
residence
UHR Development Program
Overall, 2014 was a very successful year for fundraising for United Hospice of Rockland.
Although there were incremental increases and decrease in various income categories, our 2014
Total Income increased $100,000 (nearly ten percent) over 2013, and exceeded 2014 budget
projections by more than $200,000 (twenty-three percent). The 2014 total raised is even
more impressive when taking into consideration that the total raised in 2013 included a $100,000
grant from Gladys Brooks Foundation.
A snapshot of Annual Campaign revenue appears below:
Contributions and Memorial Gifts
Residence Donations
Grants*
Special Events (gala, golf, tree)
Other UHR Fundraising
Fundraising by Others
Youth For Hospice
Total Annual Campaign
United Water rebate (one-time 2013
2014 Total
2014 Budget
$323,000
$57,000
$121,000
$394,000
$88,000
$105,000
$43,000
$1,131,000
0
$247,500
$30,000
$115,000
$330,000
$60,500
$110,000
$25,000
$918,000
0
only)
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2013 Total
$270,000
$44,000
$207,000*
$348,000
$65,000
$116,000
$26,000
$1030,000
$434,000
Total Revenue
$1,131,000
$918,000
$1,464,000
*2013 figure includes Gladys Brooks
Foundation one-time grant
A. Contributions and Memorial Gifts: 2014 Total: $323,000 (2013 total - $270,000)
This category includes general contributions ($139,000), memorial gifts ($170,000), corporate
matching gifts ($10,000) and United Way donations ($4000).
2014 gifts of note include:
 $20,000 from the son of a UHR volunteer (2013 donation was $10,000)
 $10,000 from the Benvenuto Family Fund (their 16th gift of $10,000!)
 $7,500 from Dorval Trading Co. and the owner, Roberta Cappel (their 11th year of giving
as a major donor)
 $5,000 from Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Lynch (increased from $2500 in 2013)
 $5,000 from Mr. and Mrs. Peter Mazza for the JRHR (their first donation to UHR)
 $5,000 from Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Alpuche (also their first donation to UHR)
 $3,000 from an anonymous donor, made in the form of $1,000 money orders, received at
random intervals throughout the year (during 2014 we received $7,000 in this manner)
B. Donations to the Joe Raso Hospice Residence: $57,000 in 2014 ($44,000 in 2013)
This figure represents general and memorial donations that are specifically designated by the
donor to the JRHR.
Separately, donors may choose to dedicate a Stone on the Jeffrey David Walerstein Walk of
Honor. Stones range in price from $250 to $5,000. Groups of stones are engraved several times
a year. During 2014, a total of $28,000 was contributed towards the Walk of Honor (compared
to $16,717 in 2013). This initiative is promoted primarily to JRHR families. Since established,
the Walk has generated more than $107,000 in donations to engrave a total of 180 stones.
During 2014, we tested an initiative to send a letter inviting JRHR families to donate all or a
portion of unused residence deposit to UHR. Our 2014 initiative resulted in eight gifts totaling
$4,900.
We also developed a “fund the need” initiative, inviting donors to “sponsor” the cost of a day of
meals at the JRHR. This initiative brought in more than $3,000 during 2014; we will
acknowledge donors at the JRHR on their sponsored day. We will brainstorm other ways to
promote this initiative during 2015.
We continue to maintain and promote UHR’s gift registry at Bed Bath & Beyond in
conjunction with the holiday season. During 2014, we received more than a dozen gifts through
BBB, most of them including multiple items to be used by patients, families and visitors at the
JRJR.
During 2014, we added two leaves to the JRHR water wall, acknowledging gifts of $10,000+
(one from an individual donor and another representing combined memorial donations and a
family gift).
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C. Grantseeking: 2014 Total - $121,000 (2013 total - $207,000, including a one-time grant of
$100,000 from Gladys Brooks Fdn.) Grantseeking comprises government grants, as well as
private foundation support.
2014 grants include:
 Rockland County Legislature: $95,000 for general operating support
 Other Grants of note: $25,500, including:
o $11,000 from C.J. Heilig Foundation in honor of George Cox, MD
o $5,000 from Masonic Guild of Stony Point in conjunction with UHR’s receiving the
DeWitt Clinton Award
o $4,000 from Masonic Guild of Suffern for general support (they have continued to
provide funding beyond the completion of their capital campaign pledge)
o $4,500 from Dignity Memorial Group for Veterans’ Breakfast
o $1,000 from JPMorgan/Chase in UHR honor of volunteer Elaine Kelter (annually
since 1994)
o $1,000 from Amica Insurance, secured by UHR volunteer Doreen Shepard
Numerous other proposals for various UHR programs and events were submitted, but not
funded.
D. Special Events: 2014 Total $394,000 (compared to 2013 Total - $348,000)

Annual Gala: The 2014 Gala was our most successful ever in terms of fundraising, grossing
$164,000 ($126,000 raised in 2013). This event was truly the “perfect storm” with two
strong honorees (Vinnie Abbatecola and the Zugibe family), as well as five dancers who each
pulled more than their own weight. For the first time ever, this event was “SOLD OUT”.
The “Dancing with our Stars” formula, which includes local personalities paired with
professional dance instructors, continues to be yield excellent results both in event attendance
and funds raised: “if it aint broke, don’t fix it.”. This event continues to be the “buzz” of
Rockland’s fall fundraising season, and continues to be as much a “friendraiser” as a
“fundraiser.”

Golf Outing: Golf income for 2014 was down slightly at $117,000, compared to 2013,
which raised an all time record high of $130,000, but still measurably more than the 2012
figure of $105,000. For the first time this year, we featured the Mercedes Benz challenge, a
golf contest, which was well-received by the golfers. We are grateful to Dr. Edward and
Raselle Fisher and Dr. Varsha Reddy who, for the 6th year, have generously provided
naming sponsorship for the event.

Tree of Life: After many years of climbing revenues, Tree of Life finally broke the $100K
mark, raising $113,000 (compared to $95,000 raised in 2013). The total raised includes
$24,816 collected over 25 days at the mall during the month of December (compared to
$31,000 in 2013) as well as $32,789 contributed in sponsorships (almost double 2013’s
$17,000). Our featured performers, “Rockland’s Broadway Kids” were a hit as well. We
experimented with inviting businesses/groups/organizations to adopt a day or part of a day at
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the mall. We now have three Masonic lodges each taking a full day; and this year Joe Rand
sponsored ½ day. We hope to expand upon this approach for 2015.
E. Other UHR Fundraising: 2014 Total - $88,000 (2013 Total -$65,000)

The 2014 Annual Appeal raised $27,000, a 17% increase over the $23,000 raised during
2013. This year’s appeal was written and signed by Amy Stern, discussing her personal
experience as a hospice family member.

Based on our success in 2013 adding a second appeal, we included an additional appeal in
2014 as well. This year, the JRHR appeal raised $19,000. Clearly, adding a second appeal
did not cannibalize our other fundraising efforts, so have planned a second appeal in our
2015 fundraising calendar as well.

“Hugs for Hospice” was a diminished effort in 2014, based on unimpressive results in return
for effort during 2013. We have lost some of our key Hugs outlets, including Drug World,
and others seem to have lost steam. This year, we focused Hugs almost exclusively at Dr.
Edward Fisher’s pediatric dentistry office, and raised only $5,000. Hopefully in the future
we will find other outlets to embrace this initiative as enthusiastically and as loyally as Dr.
Fisher’s office has.

Our 2014 Lapsed Donor mailing generated $5000 compared to the $3,500 raised during the
2013 appeal. While not a big “money maker,” this mailing serves an important purpose by
re-activating dormant donors, many of whom continue to give, and by culling inactive donors
in order to reduce our future mailing costs.

As a result of trying to get a thrift shop initiative off the ground, a UHR volunteer came to us
offering to coordinate a Tag Sale. We collected copious amounts of clothing & household
goods and lucked out with a sunny day in May. The event raised about $3500, but due to the
efforts required compared to income raised, may not be repeated in future years.

Harvey Pachter Family Tree brought in only $2,000 from the sale of “leaves” and “stones”
(compared to $6,000 in 2013). However, during 2014, we diverted donors to the JRHR Walk
of Honor and did not promote the Pachter Tree. We have recently learned that some donors
prefer the Tree to the Walk, so during 2015 we will expand the tree so it can accommodate
additional leaves, and resume promoting this option to families.

The semi-annual publication of the UHR Newsletter brought in $2,000, only half the $3800
raised during 2013. This is not troubling, since most donations that come in through the
newsletter are designated as raffle ticket purchases. The newsletter continues to serve its
purpose as a community outreach/education initiative and donor stewardship tool.
F. Fundraising by Others: 2014 Total - $105,000 (2013 Total - $116,000)
Fundraising for Hospice organized by other community groups and organizations has become an
increasingly important source of support for UHR. We encourage these groups to continue their
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work on our behalf, and the development staff offers whatever support, assistance,
encouragement and promotion is needed. The following groups sponsored events during 2014:

Rockland Road Runners 2014 Spring Run & Walk Festival: For the fifth year, UHR
included a Walk to Remember component with the existing half marathon and 5K Run
sponsored by the Road Runners. This expanded event raised $64,000, a slight decrease from
the record $70,000 raised during 2013.

Each year for the past seven years, Coldwell Banker of New City has sponsored a benefit
for United Hospice of Rockland. In past years, they have organized a walk or raffle. This
year, we were fortunate to have been included in a regional Casino night, and were
subsequently presented with a check for $10,000. In recognition of their support, Coldwell
Banker Residential Brokerage Cares will be the naming sponsor of the 2015 Walk to
Remember.

Haunt for Hospice took a different format this year, and was a bit more low-keyed, due to
personal issues amongst the organizers. For 2014, Haunt included a family fall fun day
(“Monster Mash”) and an adult costume party. The Haunt Team raised just over $6,000 in
2014. The Haunt Team comprises friends of a former UHR patient, who organize these
events in her memory each year. The Haunt team has promised it will be back in 2015.

For the fourth year, United Hospice of Rockland was the beneficiary of Swim Across
America’s Pool Swim in Rockland, held at Germonds Pool during the summer, in memory
of Marc Holland. This is a collaborative effort, with UHR responsible for promoting the
event and recruiting swimmers to participate. Although obligated to return only half of the
$7,000 raised at the event (the group also supports children’s cancer and cancer research),
Swim Across America once again generously remitted a check for the full amount to United
Hospice of Rockland. We hope to be able to increase revenues and participation in this event
next year.

Growler & Gill invited UHR to host a Guest Bartender evening at their pub. Tips to our
hand-selected bartenders went to UHR, as did proceeds from a raffle, together with a
matching gift, raising more than $5,500.

North West Hospice Ireland once again selected UHR as the local beneficiary of its annual
golf outing and in 2014 contributed $5,000 from the proceeds of its 2013 golf outing, which
also supports a hospice in Ireland. We anticipate another check from the 2014 outing, and we
are hopeful that this group will continue to support UHR in the coming years.

Motorcycle Die Run, organized by Second Generation Motorcycle Club, raised $3,250.
This was the group’s 8th year of holding this event.

JCC of Rockland graciously hosted UHR’s 2014 Spin event and Week of Remembrance.
The JCC provided a spin studio and a Wall of Remembrance and promoted our raffle, and
spin instructors donated their time. Spearheaded by UHR volunteer Bill Davis, the event
raised about $2,500.
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
UHR Volunteer Eileen Bookman once again drew upon her love of Latin dancing and
organized two Zumba events to benefit Hospice: one at Orangetown Jewish Center and
another at NY Sports Club in Garnerville, together raising just under $2,000.

Local attorney, James Sexton, conceptualized a “One Hour for Hospice” campaign, inviting
his fellow Rockland attorneys to donate the dollar equivalent of one billable hour. This
initiative raised close to $2,000.

Hair-cut-a-thon held concurrently this year at several salons across the county, raised close
to $2,000.

Misc smaller events included: Caesar’s Grill in Haverstraw, Smashburger, Horror on
Kwiecinski St (Haunted House) and CSEA Local held a bowling fundraiser for UHR in
November, and we anticipate receiving the proceeds during 2015.
G. Youth For Hospice: 2014 Total – $43,000 (2013 total - $26,000)
Youth for Hospice continued strong during 2014, with 186 members on our “closed” Facebook
group, and as many as fifty high school students attending meetings regularly. Our core group
continues to comprise mainly students from Clarkstown North, and meets on select Sunday
evenings at UHR. The group elected a slate of officers to lead for the 2014-2015 school year,
and we continue to assign chairs for different committees in order to give students leadership
experience and a sense of responsibility. We have a strong freshman contingency again this
year, and look forward to nurturing new leaders as these students progress through high school.
Our chapters at Nyack, Pearl River and North Rockland High Schools continue to be active, with
a hopefully up-and-coming chapter at Suffern High School and perhaps at Albertus Magnus H.S.
These groups send representatives to our general meetings at the UHR office and organize some
of their own events. We have recruited some adult volunteers to assist us in mentoring and
supervising the teens.
YFH members have been a valuable volunteer resource for UHR, with many of our teens helping
at non-YFH UHR events, including UHR Walk to Remember, Tree of Life, Haunt for Hospice,
Haircut-a-Thon, Spring Gala and the Healing Hearts rock garden event, as well as providing
support in the office.
Often, active members of YFH ask us as advisors to provide them with letters of
recommendation for honor society, scholarships and college applications. These students are
proud of their participation in YFH.
Various chapters of YFH organized a number of small-scale fundraising events during 2014,
including a car wash in partnership with People’s Bank, a Monster Mini golf event, a 16 Handles
fundraiser, a dinner at Lynch’s Restaurant, a Little Scoops fundraiser,
The group focused considerable time and effort organizing its main event, the 7th Annual
Danceathon. The event continues to grow in numbers of students who attend and in funds
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raised. The 2013 event was attended by close to 900 students (compared to 500+ in 2013), and
raised $32,000 (compared to $20,000 in 2013). Due to unprecedented attendance, we have
outgrown our venue (Albertus Magnus H.S.). Because of the challenges that come with
supervising 900 high school students, we plan to limit attendance for the 2015 event, which will
be held at Clarkstown South H.S.
H. In-Kind Donations
Not counted in official fundraising totals, but significant nonetheless are in-kind donations made
to UHR in the form of goods and services. In-kind donations of note during 2014 include:
 Cowles Graphic Design: Bette Friedlander designed nearly all of the printed materials for
our development efforts; services valued at $7730 during 2014.
 Proforma: printed materials and printing services valued at a minimum of $2500.
I. Cultivation/Stewardship:
Objective: maintain relationships with important donors; show our appreciation for their support
and inform donors how their gifts are being spent.
 Continued Circles of Life donor recognition program for donors whose combined giving for
the year was $2,500 or greater. For 2014/2015, we will be recognizing 69 donors (the
number was 68 in 2013/2014). These are our key donors and where we focus the majority of
our stewardship efforts. Our 10th annual Circles of Life members' reception featured dinner
and a private box at a Rockland Boulders baseball game.
 Prepared personalized thank you notes for major ($500 and up) and/or unusual/outstanding
gifts.
 Continued TAP (Telephone Appreciation Program), whereby all donors of $100+ receive a
personal thank-you call ($500+ receive an immediate call by a development staff member;
$100+ receive a timely call by a trained UHR volunteer.)
 In November, held Hospice Heroes Breakfast at Paramount Country Club to recognize nonUHR “family” who made special contributions during the year. This event was wellattended and provided an opportunity for us to further cultivate relationships with these key
individuals and groups.
 Invited circle members and legacy society members to attend 2014 Philanthropy Day
Breakfast sponsored by Rockland Development Council. UHR nominated Mercedes Benz
of Nanuet owner Rich Hesse, who received the Business Philanthropist of the Year award.
 Hosted tours of the JRHR, made phone calls; sent congratulatory notes, get well cards,
sympathy cards; made shiva visits and attended wakes, and other activities to maintain
relationships with donors.
J. UHR Website/E-Newsletter/Social Networking:
Development staff works with the Executive Director and marketing staff to keep the UHR
website maintained and up-to-date with calendar of events, photos, news, direct link for
donations, etc., as well as program and clinical information. Our hands-on role in this effort has
somewhat diminished with the hiring of a marketing director. During 2014 we also worked with
the marketing director to update and revise the fundraising portion(s) of the UHR Website.
We worked with the marketing department to develop a bi-monthly enewsletter that is blasted to
our email list. Additionally, we send out eblasts listing upcoming events as needed. The goal is
21
to provide timely information to the community, in a cost efficient manner, since our print
newsletter only goes out 2x/year. We have been making a concerted effort to gather and maintain
email addresses of our donors and other constituents.
We promote upcoming events on our email signatures (and on fax cover sheets).
As more and more people become comfortable with donating on-line, the UHR website has
become an increasingly important tool in promoting UHR events and in accepting on-line
donations. During 2014, after considering multiple options, we worked with the Marketing
Director and UHR webmaster to bring on-line donations in-house in order to reduce additional
fees tacked on by outside vendor.
K. Planned Giving:
Planned giving can and should take an increased importance in our overall development
program. During 2014 we initiated a planned giving campaign amongst the UHR Board of
Directors, and by the end of the year had closed several gifts. We expect to complete our board
commitments during 2015 and begin to move our campaign to the UHR general donor
community, including holding an informative program/event for planned gift prospects.
We continue to watch for ways to incorporate planned giving into our fundraising program. We
flag donors in our software who we think might be planned gift prospects; and we always include
something a topic on planned giving in our newsletter. We also include Legacy Society
members in our cultivation events, including Philanthropy Day and the Circles event.
During 2014 UHR received the following bequests:
 $25,000 from Estate of Carolyn Nagy
 $5,000 from William Engel Trust
And the following confirmations of planned gifts:
 Dr. and Mrs. Edward Fisher
 Don Karlewicz
 Jim and Peg Murphy
 Barney Shiner
L. Development Staff Community involvement and other activities
The Development Department was also involved in the following activities during 2014:
 The Director of Development participates as a member of the UHR Board of Director’s
nominations committee
 The development department played an active role in planning and implementing UHR’s
2014 Veterans’ Appreciation event, including securing sponsorship from Dignity Memorial.
 During the summer of 2014, the development department hosted a fundraising intern, a
student at Providence College, worked tirelessly to promote the Swim Across America event
in the community, assisted us with Gala preparations (she returned from school in October to
attend and help at the Gala), and learned about the grantseeking process.
 Director of Development served as point person for combined UHR/New City Rotary blood
drive.
22

Director of Development was invited to be part of a speaker panel at the Association of
Fundraising Professionals’ annual Fundraising Day in NY, specifically to discuss our Walk
to Remember event.
Performance Improvement
The Performance Improvement Program is designed to assure the quality and safety of end-oflife care provided to the community served and to continuously assess and improve those
services. 2014 was remarkable for the changes within UHR and those imposed on it by external
mandates. UHR successfully met the challenges presented by the ever changing environment by
realigning priorities while continuing to provide quality care.
 The year began with re-structuring staff as a result of financial pressures. Staffing
changes continued throughout the year. The position of Performance Improvement/ Staff
Education Coordinator was filled In March.
 In April, UHR was accredited by the Joint Commission (JC) following an unannounced
full survey which included assessing compliance with the Medicare Conditions of
Participation for deemed status.
 The electronic medical record (EMR) was updated in June in anticipation of the mandate
to submit the Hospice Item Set (HIS) to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS)
starting in July.
 New to the Agency was the web-based training program, RELIAS Learning, which was
used to fulfill the annual mandatory training requirements for all staff by October 31.
RELIAS also includes courses that meet professional certification requirements.
QUALITY ASSESSMENT
 Clinical Record Review (CRR)
A total of 43 charts were reviewed using a variety of audits to assess compliance with the CMS
conditions of participation and to monitor continuous quality improvement. A new Clinical
Record Review audit was developed and piloted. The initial results guided subsequent audits to
assess different aspects of the Agency’s programs. All clinical staff were successfully trained in
how to complete the Hospice Item Set which assesses 7 quality indicators. Since the July
inception, all patient records have been audited and the compliance with the HIS is excellent.
Results of CRR were shared with staff, the Professional Advisory Committee (PAC) and the
Board of Trustees.
CONTINUOUS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT
 Point of Service (POS) – PIP 2013
In 2013 the Agency set a goal of 80% overall compliance with documenting in the EMR at point
of service. This goal was met. In 2014 there was continuous quality improvement and the
Agency total rose from 80% to 90% by year end. In addition, each individual clinician was
expected to be 80% compliant with POS. In December, 75% of clinicians were 80% or greater
in complying with documenting at POS.
23

Home Health Aide Plan of Care (HHA POC) – PIP 2013 The HHA POC correlation
with HHA documentation on patient logs was identified as an area for major
improvement in 2013. Initially only a small minority met the stringent expectations. A
3rd quarter 2014 audit showed 84% correlation between the 8 categories on the POC and
the HHA documentation.
PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS
 Community Nurse Staffing - 2014
Staffing for the community was a de-facto performance improvement project due to the
opportunity that arose as a result of staff restructuring at the start of 2014. The community
nursing staff, including per diem nurses, was cross-trained in the roles of admission nurse,
hospital nurse and nursing home nurse. As a result of the increased versatility, continuity of
care improved during the week. The improved coordination of care decreased the need for
week-end visits. The end result was that the week-end staffing was successfully reduced by one
shift. This in turn improved nurse job satisfaction.

Falls Assessment and Prevention- PIP 2015-2016.
A Hazard and Vulnerability Assessment was conducted. The Fall Assessment and Prevention
Policy was revised to include the MAHC-10 Fall Assessment (Missouri Alliance of Home Care),
the industry standard. When the electronic medical record software was updated in June, one
anticipated change was the availability of the MAHC-10. All documented falls were reviewed to
determine the risk of a fall at the start of care, and if indicated, a safety plan was created and
implemented and if the process was repeated after a fall. There were a total of 35 reports of
falls, none of which required more than first aid.
INFECTION CONTROL
The goal of the Infection Control Program is to protect patients, families and visitors and hospice
personnel from communicable disease. In 2014, a Hazard and Vulnerability Assessment was
conducted and the following Infection control activities were implemented to prevent as well as
control the spread of communicable disease.
 Prevention-Annual screening for TB for employees and volunteers. Screening was
conducted bi-annually and 100% of personnel were screened. There were no conversions.
 Annual influenza vaccination for direct care employees and volunteers. Vaccination rate
prior to the flu season was 100% (excluding one person who was exempt.)
 The Hand Hygiene policy was updated in 2014. Hand Hygiene is an annual core
competency and direct care staff and volunteers were 100% competent.
 Isolation training and competency was provided for the HHA and 100% of attendees
demonstrated competency.
 Surveillance for infection-In 2014 there were a total of 88 reports of infections in patients
admitted to UHR. Twenty four (24) cases required contact isolation to prevent the spread
of infection. All of the cases were diagnosed prior to hospice admission in either the
hospital or SNF and therefore no reporting was necessary. The majority of infections
were gastrointestinal infections caused by the bacteria C. difficile. There were no
reportable communicable diseases among staff in 2014.
24
RISK MANAGEMENT AND ADVERSE PATIENT EVENTS
 Occurrences and Falls-There were 35 reports. Analysis of the data showed that most falls
occurred while going to or from the bathroom. There was no difference between the
community and residential programs other than the time of day when the fall may occur.
 Adverse Drug Events /Medication Errors-There were 16 reports. Analysis of the data
showed that 63% involved labeling or dispensing by the pharmacy. There was one (1)
Adverse Drug event which was a severe reaction as a result of a previously unknown
drug allergy.
 Complaints-There were 27 reports. Analysis of the data showed that approximately 85%
of complaints involved communication between staff and pt/families. Complaints were
equally distributed between the community and residential programs. All complaints
were resolved to the extent possible depending upon the timing of the complaint.
 Sentinel Events-There were no reported sentinel events.
SAFETY and EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
 OSHA-There were nine employee occurrences and injuries none of which were reportable
events.
 Emergency Preparedness and Workplace Safety-Internal assessment included fire drills to
monitor employee compliance and evacuation time.
 Critical Incidents / Workplace Trauma-There were no critical incidents or workplace
trauma in 2014.
CORPORATE COMPLAINCE PROGRAM
 There were no compliance issues reported via the UHR compliance hot-line, in writing or
verbally to the Compliance Officer.
TRAINING, EDUCATION AND IN-SERVICES
 Orientation-New employees (4 RN, 1 LPN, 1 HHA and Facility Manager)
 RELIAS web based learning and training-Mandatory training was conducted using web
based training in 2014. 100% of employees (administrative and clinical staff as well as
contractors) completed the mandatory training modules for their job classification.
 Nurse Competency-A skills competency lab was held in December with the participation
of AVANTI Chief Clinical Officer J. Klasman CHPN and covered the topics of venous
access device care and management, intermittent IV and subcutaneous infusions, and use
of the CADD pump
 In-Service Programs-HHAs were in serviced on Infection Control in Home Care and
Isolation Precautions and RELIAS was used to help HHAs meet the State mandate for
annual training requirements. RNs were in-serviced in Medicare part D and the HIS
mandate. Bereavement counselors attended a WebEx on Bereavement assessing Grief
and Documenting Care. All Clinicians were invited to the HPCNYS WebEx on
‘Managing Client Expectations”.
POLICY AND FORMS COMMITTEE
The committee re-convened with the ambition of meeting weekly to review the Policy and
Procedure Manual. More than 30 polices and/or forms were reviewed, revised and approved by
the Board.
25
Goals

UHR will place a hospital liaison at Good Samaritan Hospital whose role will be to respond to
patient referrals on a more timely basis, educate staff and physicians about hospice care,
development relationships with staff that that will result in increased referrals while
simultaneously meeting needs articulated by the hospital.

Electronic prescribing of medications is mandated to begin by the end of March 2015. UHR
will identify and purchase software that best meets our needs, will train staff in its use and
develop appropriate policies so that we are compliant the mandate.

UHR will aggressively work to reduce costs and increase revenue in order to reduce/avoid
budget deficit and reliance on utilization of funds from investment portfolio.

UHR will implement the new CAHPS (Consumer Assessment of Health Care Providers
Hospice Survey) requirement. CMS is requiring all hospice providers to use a standardized
47-question survey to measure the experience of patients who died while receiving hospice
care, as well as the experience of their primary caregivers. This survey attempts to measure
an array of factors, including communication, timeliness of care, treatment of family
members with respect, emotional support, support for religious and spiritual beliefs,
assistance with symptoms, continuity of information, patient/family understanding of the
adverse effects of medications, and training of patients/families. This survey must be
administered by an outside vender, and UHR has signed a contract with an approved vendor
to begin in April 2015, consistent with CMS requirements.

Lay groundwork for an Endowment/Major Gifts Campaign to raise funds to support
operations of the JRHR.

Planned Giving: complete Board initiative; expand Planned Giving Campaign to UHR
donors; develop planned giving materials; identify and hold an informational event for
prospective donors.


Continue to investigate and implement ways to promote events and drive donations/event
registration through UHR website and other donation platforms, in order to decrease printing
and mailing expenses and facilitate improved communication with donors and prospects.
Explore best way to invite and encourage the financial support of JRHR families through a
variety of vehicles, including mail appeals, Walk of Honor, Thrift Shop initiative, Bed Bath
& Beyond, etc.

Identify and develop “wish list” giving opportunities

Put plans in place to ensure a smooth transition upon retirement this coming summer of
Director and Assistant Director of Development.
26
Statistics
Table 1: Diagnostic Categories of Patients
Diagnosis
Blood/Blood Forming Organs
Central Urinary System
Circulatory System
Congenital Abnormalities
Digestive System
Number
1
19
157
1
13
Percentage
0.10%
2.70%
22.10%
0.10%
1.80%
Endocrine, Nutritional, Metabolic
Infectious & Parasitic Disease
Injury & Poisoning
Mental Disorders
Muscular Skeletal System
22
5
11
14
2
3.10%
.70%
1.60%
2.00%
0.30%
Neoplasms/Cancer
Nervous System/Sense Organs
Respiratory System
Skin & Subcutaneous Tissue
Symptoms, Signs Ill Defined
Total
330
81
49
1
3
709
46.50%
11.40%
6.90%
0.10%
0.40%
100%
Table 2: Year End Status of Patients
265
279
30
48
18
640
Died at Home
Died at Joe Raso Hospice Residence
Died in Hospital
Died in Nursing Home
Died in Assisted Lvg.
Total Deaths
Live Discharges
Aggress.Tx. (Hosp/Home)
Remains or placed in SNF/ALF( decert/stable)
Out of area hospital
Trans. to hospice out of area
Remain at home (decert/stable
Pt/Family/MD Request
Left service area
Total Live Discharges
Carried Over to 2015
16
8/5
4
1
15
1
5
56 (53/3)
72
27
Table 3: Sex of Patients
Sex
Female
Male
Number
Percentage
457
311
59.5%
40.5%
*includes 16 duplicated admissions
Table 4: Hospice patient deaths by length of stay
# pts. who died within 1-7 days
288
45.00%
# pts. who died w/in 8-14 days
104
16.30%
# pts. who died w/in 15-30 days
106
498
37
22
16.60%
77.80%
5.80%
3.40%
557
12
13
582
618
623
87.00%
1.90%
2.00%
90.90%
96.60%
97.30%
634
99.10%
# who died in first 30 days
# pts. who died w/in 31-45 days
.40# pts. who died w/in 46-60
days
# who died in first 60 days
# pts. who died w/in 61-75 days
# pts. who died w/in 76-90 days
# who died in first 90 days
# who died in first 180 days
# who died in first 210 days
# who died in first 365 days
Table 5: Age of Patients
Age
Number
Percentage
18-64
65-74
75-100+
92
111
565
12.00%
14.50%
73.60%
Total
768
100.0%
28
Table 6: Ethnicity of Patients
Ethnicity
African American
Asian
Hispanic
Caucasian
Haitian-Creole
Other
Unknown
Native American
TOTAL
Number
34
11
39
662
4
12
12
1
768
Percentage
4.4%
1.4%
5.10%
86.20%
.50%
1.60%
.70%
0.10%
100.0%
Table 7: Days of Insurance By Carrier
Insurance
Medicare
Medicaid
Commercial
Charity
Total
Routine
Inpatient
Community JRHR Community JRHR
20245
156
1677
90
22168
1763
60
139
158
2
10
545
7
171
1962
170
723
Continuous
Care
Respite
3
0
2
0
5
1
JRHR Room & Board
Private Pay
951
Medicaid
1010
Table 8: Visits By Discipline
Discipline
Nursing (including continuous care) **
Nursing On-Call **
F2F visits (non-reimbursable) by MDs & NPs
Social Work
Spiritual Care
Home Health Aide Visits
Volunteers (excludes BVMT, includes SW)
Nutritionist
Physical therapy
Speech Therapy
Music therapy
Massage therapy
# Visits
13,307 (18283)
439 ( 381)
2/143 (259)
1669 (2888)
1641 (1710)
14208 (16087)
4065 (4195)
13 (6)
40 (52)
4 (6)
280 (494)
433 (460)
29
1
Total
22715
225
1999
90
25029
Percentage
90.8%
0.9%
8.0%
0.4%
100.0%
Physician & NP visits
Bereavement (UHR Families)
Housekeeping
Hospice Program Visits
Table 9: Other Data
Average Length of Stay: 36.6 (52.3)
Median Length of Stay: 11 (15)
576/139 (434/152)
777 (818)
135 (152)
37871 (46477)
Average Daily Census: 68.6 (93.4)
( ) 2013 Data for Comparison
30
31
Table 10: Staff Hours for Calculation of Volunteer Cost Savings
VOLUNTEER RESOURCE TYPE
# OF HOURS
$ Hourly Rate
Board of Directors
Quality Assurance
Spiritual Care Committee
Ethics Committee
Direct Care, Bereavement Volunteers
& Social Work Interns
Non-direct Volunteers
TOTAL FOR ALL VOLUNTEERS
$ Savings
135
7
7
20
10,053
44.84
44.84
44.84
44.84
35.61
6,053.40
313.88
313.88
896.80
357,987.33
4,605
14,827
35.61
163,984.05
529,549.34
STAFF RESOURCE TYPE
# OF PAID HOURS
RNs
40,564
Social Workers
11,138
Patient Support
6,178
Spiritual Care Coordinators
4,547
Human Resources
1,666
Home Health Aides
27,663
Contract Services
2,677
Complimentary Therapies
1,027
Administrative Office Staff
10,023
Medical Director and Physician
2,360
Executive Director
1,950
Director of Clinical Services
2,370
Director of Counseling Services
83
Director of Nursing
1,981
Director of Development & Dev. Staff
5,811
Director of Finances
2,261
Director of Residential Care
2,052
Director of Performance Improvement
1,721
Director of Marketing and Outreach
3,103
Coordinator, Volunteer Support Services
1,769
Facilities Manager
1,116
TOTAL FOR ALL STAFF
132,060
Total patient care hours of all paid hospice employees and contract staff x 5% = 6,603
required minimum number of volunteer hours
Actual # of volunteer hours for UHR = 14,827
Cost savings to UHR = $529,549.34
32
Addendum A-Board of Directors 2014
Vincent Abbatecola
Business Owner, Abbey Ice UHR Family Member
Charles Apotheker
Rockland County Court Judge, UHR Family Member
Edward Fisher
Pediatric Dentist
Stephen Grant
Senior Analyst, Enterprise Risk Management, UHR Family Member
Sister Ursula Joyce
Licensed Psychologist, Housing Manager Thorpe Village/Dowling
Gardens
Don Karlewicz
CPA, CGMA Managing Partner, GKG
Joseph R. Lagana
Business Owner, USIS
Gary Lipton, Esq.
Attorney, UHR Family Member
Tess McCormack-Raso
Community Leader, UHR Family Member
Judy Pachter
Business owner, Pachter & Pachter, UHR Family Member
James Murphy
Community Member, UHR Patient Care Volunteer
Harold Peterson
Sr. Vice President, Provident Bank, UHR Family Member
Joseph Rand
Managing Partner, Better Homes & Gardens Realty, UHR Family
Member
Sue Rutledge
Manager, Site Communications, Pfizer, UHR Family Member
Heidi Snyder
Business Owner. Drug World Pharmacies
33
ADDENDUM B
Financial Overview 2014-To be added to report after board approval
of Audited Financial Statement
34