HealthCare Chaplaincy Grants ‘Excellence in Spiritual Care Award’ to Interim HealthCare Hospice of Greenville, SC

HealthCare Chaplaincy Network (HCCN) recently granted its “Excellence in Spiritual Care Award” to Interim HealthCare Hospice, a part of Interim HealthCare of the Upstate South Carolina, Greenville, S.C., distinguishing the local agency as the first hospice and only the third organization in the nation to receive this honor.

The award signifies that Interim, after undergoing an extensive evaluation, meets HCCN’s proprietary standards of excellence and is committed to optimally addressing the spiritual and religious needs of patients and their families.

Ray Schroeder, president and owner of Interim HealthCare of the Upstate South Carolina, said the award is especially meaningful since spiritual care has been a cornerstone of the hospice since it began in 1996. He started it after his mother, Grace, received positive medical and spiritual care from a small hospice in Florida.

“I’ve always tried to follow the example of doing the right things the right way for the right reasons in running my business or living my life,” Schroeder said. “Hospice takes the concept of spiritual care and spiritual support for those with extreme health issues to another level. I truly believe that my mother knows how deeply committed we are to emphasizing spiritual care and support through our agency. That makes me very happy.”

HCCN introduced the “Excellence in Spiritual Care Award” last year as part of the nonprofit organization’s efforts to raise the bar on spiritual care as a critical component of whole-person care. The other recipients are hospitals: Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, the first awardee, and Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Portland, Ore. Additional health care settings nationwide currently are in the review process.

The 15 standards of excellence include employing an interdisciplinary approach to spiritual care, engaging in quality improvement projects, and strategically deploying chaplaincy care resources. As part of the evaluation, HCCN specialists identify areas in need of improvement, provide consultation to achieve goals, and assist in more fully integrating chaplaincy services into overall health care delivery.

About HealthCare Chaplaincy Network™
HealthCare Chaplaincy Network™ is a global health care nonprofit organization that offers spiritual-related information and resources, and professional chaplaincy services in hospitals, other health care settings, and online. Its mission is to advance the integration of spiritual care in health care through clinical practice, research and education in order to improve patient experience and satisfaction, and to help people faced with illness and grief find comfort and meaning—whoever they are, whatever they believe, wherever they are. For more information, visit www.healthcarechaplaincy.org, call 212-644-1111, and connect with us on twitter and Facebook.