Good news: An official agreement has been reached between Compass Regional Hospice and University of Maryland Shore Regional Health for Compass Regional Hospice to lease space at the University of Maryland Shore Medical Center at Chestertown.
As part of the formalized agreement, a two-year lease has been signed by Ken Kozel, president and CEO of UM SRH and Heather Guerieri, executive director of Compass Regional Hospice. Effective November 1, Compass Regional Hospice is leasing a unit on the third floor of the hospital. Architects from Hammond Wilson have developed a renovation plan to transform the vacant unit into a four-bed residential hospice center.
The residential hospice center will offer an alternative for Kent County hospice patients who want the security of medical care around the clock but prefer the comfort of a home-like environment. The tentative schedule for the opening is the beginning of 2018.
The key operational details of this agreement are as follows:
- Compass Regional Hospice will be responsible for all aspects of hospice patient care— staffing the unit 24 hours a day, seven days a week and overseeing its operations.
- Hospital patients who are deemed suitable for admission to residential hospice care must first be discharged from the hospital according to normal hospital discharge procedures, then admitted to hospice care according to normal hospice admission procedures. (Please note: Compass may admit patients to the unit from their homes or community setting as well as from hospitals.)
- Admission to the residential hospice center will be based on greatest need. Room and board fees are based on ability to pay.
As Compass has grown into its role as a regional hospice provider, it became apparent to their Board and staff that greater access to hospice services, including residential hospice beds, was needed in Kent County. From the standpoint of UM Shore Regional Health, collaborating with Compass Regional Hospice and facilitating the lease agreement created an important opportunity to ensure that “the right care, in the right place at the right time” is available to Kent County hospice patients for whom in-home care is not recommended.
As the renovation gets under way, the Shore Regional Health communications and facilities management teams will provide updates relevant to the project, including matters such as access, renovation progress, signage and parking that may affect patients, staff and visitors to UM Shore Medical Center at Chestertown.