VITAS® Healthcare Announces Inpatient Hospice Unit at Broward Health Medical Center

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Feb 09, 2022, 10:33 ET

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Feb. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- VITAS Healthcare is proud to announce its third inpatient unit (IPU) with Broward Health. Located on the second floor of Broward Health Medical Center's west wing, the IPU is expected to care for more than 400 patients each year.

Eight patient rooms with special amenities provide homelike comfort in a clinically optimized setting. Friends and family can visit 24/7—in accordance with current health guidelines and safety protocols—and utilize overnight accommodations to remain by their loved one's side.

VITAS Inpatient Hospice Unit at Broward Health Medical Center is accepting hospice-eligible referrals. Clinicians can send referrals securely 24/7 at 800.93.VITAS or www.vitas.com/referrals.

VITAS IPUs offer a temporary home away from home for patients near the end of life when symptoms can no longer be managed in their preferred setting of care. Patients receive 24/7 care from an interdisciplinary VITAS team comprising a physician, nurse, social worker, chaplain, volunteer and bereavement expert. Together, the team attends to the medical, emotional, social and spiritual needs of patients and their families.

The VITAS Inpatient Hospice Unit at Broward Health Medical Center marks the company's fifth IPU in Broward County, with others at Broward Health North, Broward Health Coral Springs, the Florida Medical Center, and Sunrise Health and Rehabilitation Center.

"As the nation's leading provider of end-of-life care, we are honored to partner with the Broward Health system to offer comprehensive, compassionate care to their patients and families," said Betty Bel, vice president of operations at VITAS. "The benefit is two-fold in that patients with advanced illness have greater support to align with their goals of care, and hospital staff can rely on our specialized teams to provide a smooth transition to the nearby in-hospital inpatient unit."

"Broward Health is proud of our long-standing, successful healthcare partnership with VITAS and looks forward to expanding our services together," said Shane Strum, president and CEO of Broward Health. "Now, just as we do at other Broward Health hospitals, our hospice-eligible patients at Broward Health Medical Center can experience timely transitions to the expert end-of-life care that VITAS is known to provide."

Clinicians can download the VITAS Healthcare mobile app for 24/7 referrals, locations, and interactive hospice eligibility guidelines, or contact VITAS 24/7 at 800.93.VITAS.

VITAS has provided hospice care in Broward County since 1980 in patients' homes, their preferred care settings and inpatient units. Clinicians and care teams are available 24/7 to provide care and answer questions. Want to join the nation's leading provider of end-of-life care? VITAS is hiring! Discover a fulfilling career and find available openings at careers.vitas.com.

About VITAS^®Healthcare
Established in 1978, VITAS Healthcare is a pioneer and leader in the American hospice movement. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, VITAS (pronounced VEE-tahs) operates 49 hospice programs in 14 states (California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin) and the District of Columbia. VITAS employs 9,884 professionals who care for patients with advanced illness, primarily in the patients' homes, and also in the company's 28 inpatient hospice units as well as in hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living communities/residential care facilities for the elderly. At the conclusion of the fourth quarter of 2021, VITAS reported an average daily census of 17,783. Visit www.vitas.com.