Innovative cooperative model is being implemented for the first time in Oregon
Four founding members serve about half of all Oregon counties: Care Partners Hospice & Palliative, Lumina Hospice & Palliative Care, Hospice of Redmond & Klamath Hospice
The Oregon Non-profit Hospice Alliance (ONHA) is announcing its debut as an organization that will sustain and grow community-based hospice agencies in support of seriously ill Oregonians and their families. Member agencies have been operating in their respective service areas for more than 30 years, and embody the original hospice movement’s dedication to put people above profits.
“Being part of ONHA means we can do even more for our communities”, said ONHA CEO Kelly Beard. “Alliance members are sharing best practices and working together on innovations to support exceptional community-based hospice and palliative care.”
ONHA is patterned after successful non-profit alliances in other states. Ohio’s Hospice, one of ONHA’s models, began in 2013 with three affiliates and has since tripled in size to nine, in addition to entering into joint ventures and partnerships with other community organizations.
Andy Kyler, CEO of Care Partners, commented: “ONHA members are proud to put collaboration ahead of competition to ensure that the benefits of non-profit care are accessible to all Oregonians”.
ONHA affiliates will continue to offer direct care services and raise funds for their local communities. The alliance will accept donations to promote the benefits of non-profit hospice statewide.
ONHA’s member services include:
- Peer quality benchmarking
- Best-practice implementation
- Shared efficiencies and economies of scale
- Development of programs and outcome measures for payer contracting
“It’s really simple: our members provide more care for every dollar spent” added ONHA Board Chair Ilene Kleinsorge. “We don’t have profit targets set by a financial executive in another state. Our boards come from the communities we serve and give our agencies the latitude to do what’s best to support people through the end-of-life process”.
About ONHA: ONHA is a registered Oregon non-profit, representing non-profit hospices state-wide who are collaborating to achieve mutually-assured success. ONHA’s CEO works with a board of directors composed of each affiliate’s Executive Director and one board member, to ensure equal representation among members.
Media Contact: Kelly Beard, CEO, Kelly.beard@onhanetwork.org, 503-213-1095