NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – North Andover, Massachusetts, Hospice Care Consultant Cheryl Dean was honored for outstanding performance and inducted into the 2019 Compassus Presidents’ Circle at the company’s National Medical Directors, Leadership and Presidents’ Circle Meeting last month.
Dean was one of 67 inductees into this year’s Presidents’ Circle, reserved for hospice and home health care consultants who have consistently expanded access to home health, palliative and hospice care in their communities.
Dean was also one of six Presidents’ Circle members to earn the Hospice Access Impact Award, a special recognition for remarkable achievement in helping an extraordinary number of patients and their families navigate onto the hospice benefit in each year of her tenure with the organization.
According to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission’s March 2016 Report to Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, less than half of Medicare beneficiary decedents enrolled in hospice care, and the median length of stay in hospice was only 17 days.
One of the main factors in underutilization of hospice is lack of knowledge. The role of the Compassus hospice care consultant is to educate patients and families in their communities about the hospice benefit, which has been shown to improve quality of life, reduce symptom stress, and minimize hospitalizations.
“Cheryl ever-faithfully demonstrates her dedication to helping patients gain access to the care they need, improving quality of life at a very vulnerable time for both patients and their loved ones,” said Joe Peterson, executive director of the Compassus – Eastern Massachusetts program. “Her commitment is truly impactful, allowing us to demonstrate quality care in its best form, and an inspiration to her colleagues.”
“Working in hospice is incredibly meaningful and rewarding. I’m thankful to be able to help patients and families gain access to the appropriate care at the appropriate time to improve their end-of-life journeys,” said Dean. “I look forward to continuing to serve the North Andover community, providing education about the benefits of hospice and access to quality end-of-life care.”
For more information about Compassus – Eastern Massachusetts, visit our North Andover landing page or call (978) 777-8222.
