January 8, 2024  – In New York, a new collaboration is taking shape. Bassett Healthcare Network announced a partnership with Helios Care to revolutionize hospice and palliative care. The duo will bring value-based, compassionate services directly to patients’ homes.

This partnership is set to extend the reach of high-quality, cost-effective and integrated hospice and palliative care to patients in Central New York. It will also ensure that more individuals can access the support they need in the comfort of their own homes. Initially serving three counties, Helios Care, with approval from the New York State Department of Health, is set to expand to Herkimer and Chenango Counties as well.

“Expanded collaboration between Bassett and Helios Care is a natural cooperative effort that will greatly benefit patients and their families in our rural communities,” says Staci Thompson, MHA, FACMPE, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer at Bassett Healthcare Network. “We work closely with Helios Care every day. Our shared approaches to serving patients embrace advocating for care with the highest quality of life possible, including in-home services for patients with chronic illnesses and home-based end-of-life care.”

Together, these organizations are set to introduce an electronically driven referral process. This will not just streamline care coordination but also promote value-based contracting for hospice and palliative care services. This means more efficient, cost-effective care for hospice and palliative services across various settings: hospitals, outpatient clinics, and the ultimate comfort of patients’ homes.

Recognizing the delicate needs of those with serious illnesses, chronic conditions, and those nearing life’s end, the partnership is prioritizing the development of a transitional care program. This initiative aims to ensure that the most vulnerable receive continuous, compassionate in-home care.

Hospice and palliative care, at their core, are about enhancing the quality of life for those with long-term or terminal illnesses. This multidisciplinary endeavor involves coordination of multiple providers and stakeholders—from physicians and nurses to social workers and bereavement counselors—all dedicated to providing holistic, patient-centered care.

In 2022 alone, Helios Care extended its healing hand to over 580 patients across four counties, offering everything from palliative care and symptom management to bereavement services. With this partnership, their mission grows ever stronger, reaching patients earlier in their healthcare journey and integrating more holistic patient care approaches.

“Helios Care is thrilled to work with Bassett Healthcare Network on this innovative initiative,” says Dan Ayres, President and CEO of Helios Care. “Helios Care continues to expand our mission, serving patients earlier in their care journeys and fusing palliative care into more holistic approaches to patient care across the lifetime. We now serve close to 90 patients per day with 56 employees and 70 volunteers. Our deeper collaboration with Bassett will offer patients these critical services with more continuous and extended clinical coordination from their care teams in different care settings.”

As this partnership blossoms, both Bassett Healthcare Network and Helios Care stand united in their belief that embracing innovation and collaboration is not just beneficial but essential. Together, they’re not just navigating the changing tides of healthcare but also setting a new standard for compassionate, value-based hospice and palliative care in New York and beyond.