NORWICH – This month, Hospice and Palliative Care of Chenango County was proud to receive a 2014 Hospice Honors award. The award recognizes Hospices that offer outstanding care for their patients, which is determined through ratings given by the caregiver.

“We are very proud,” said Patricia Outhouse, Executive Director. “There is no better indicator of services than patient and family satisfaction.”

Deyta, which established the award, basis it on the Family Evaluation of Hospice Care (FEHC), which involves 18 satisfaction indicator measures that rate hospices' performance. The survey included more than 1,700 hospice agencies that are a part of Deyta's FEHC database. The evaluation was held from October 2012 to September 2013.

“The set of questions included only indicator measures, omitting qualifying, leader and demographic questions,” states a Hospice Chenango press release. “Individual hospice performance scores were aggregated for the evaluation period and were compared on a question-by-question basis to a national average score calculated from Deyta's FEHC database.”

Outhouse explained that Hospice Chenango scored above the national average for satisfaction on 16 out of the 18 satisfaction indicator measures. She continued by saying, “Our core value is to clearly identify the goals of care for patients and their families and met the objectives. Quality of life is the core value.”

Outhouse is very proud of her staff, which consists of 18 full and part-time employees. Hospice Chenango also has approximately 100 volunteers. “Our clinical staff are experts for quality end of life care. They work very hard,” said Outhouse.