Hoag program receives honor

Michael Miller

Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian has won the American Hospital

Assn.’s Circle of Life Award for its end-of-life care program, making

it one of three sites in the country to receive the honor this year.

The award, given to three hospitals annually, celebrates programs

that deal with patients in the final stages of life. Hoag, which

nominated itself for the first time last fall, has actively expanded

its end-of-life care program since establishing it in 1999. Patients

with cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s are among those served by

the program.

Along with its award, the hospital will receive a $25,000 grant on

July 29 at a ceremony in San Diego.

“We were elated,” said Paul Selecky, medical director of Hoag’s

palliative care program, which treats patients in early stages of

terminal illness. “We’re very proud of our hardworking doctors and

nurses and social workers and chaplains, because what they’re doing

is focus on the needs of the patients and be patient advocates. We’re

grateful to our leadership for supporting us the last few years.”

Hoag’s end-of-life care program started six years ago. In 2003,

the program expanded to the earlier, palliative care. Rather than

seeking cures, the program focuses on increasing comfort for terminal

patients as well as their family members.

Hospitals and other sites can nominate themselves for the Circle

of Life Award or be chosen by others. Every October through December,

an evaluation team from the American Hospital Assn. visits all the

nominated sites. Afterward, the association selects 10 nominees,

which it then narrows down to the three award winners.

Gail Lovinger, the association’s vice president of governance,

traveled to Hoag last December and was impressed by the hospital’s

economy of services.

“For a community hospital, they have done a simply outstanding job

in creating a program of palliative care that is integrated

throughout the entire hospital with a comparatively very low resource

commitment,” Lovinger said. “They are able to do so much that it

stands out as a model for community hospitals over the country.”

The other Circle of Life Award winners this year were High Point

Regional Health System in High Point, N.C., and Virginia Commonwealth

University’s Massey Cancer Center in Richmond, Va.

* MICHAEL MILLER covers education and may be reached at (714)

966-4617 or by e-mail at michael.miller@latimes.com.