MoreHospice of Franklin County earned a perfect score on a recent survey by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, indicating substantial compliance with requirements for hospice providers. It is Hospice of Franklin County’s second consecutive perfect survey.
“Hospices must fulfill a long list of requirements to become certified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS),” said Terry Gaberson, Executive Director of Hospice of Franklin County. “I am so pleased to congratulate the staff of Hospice of Franklin County on their stellar performance in achieving a second deficiency-free survey.” The survey was in May, and Hospice of Franklin County recently was notified of the official result.
The Massachusetts DPH survey is unannounced. “We don’t know with any certainty when our survey will take place, until the surveyors arrive,” noted Gaberson. “They spend several days at our offices interviewing staff members and reviewing records, policies and procedures, but they also make home visits to hospice patients. This is an examination of the quality of our overall program, and it is a rigorous process.”
Surveys are repeated within a three-year window. Any deficiencies that do not meet regulations require an immediate action plan for correction.
Hospice of Franklin County is a member of the Berkshire Healthcare family of not-for-profit providers of skilled nursing, short-term rehabilitation, assisted and independent living and hospice services.
Hospice of Franklin County was incorporated as a free-standing, non-profit, community based hospice in 2004 and joined Berkshire Healthcare in 2015. HoFC was created specifically to serve community members of the greater Franklin County area and has served more than 3,000 individuals and their families since first opening their doors. HoFC is a member of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and the Hospice and Palliative Care Federation of Massachusetts, and is a Level Three “We Honor Veterans” partner.
Berkshire Healthcare is a leader among not-for-profit, post-acute care organizations in Massachusetts, and owns or operates 14 rehabilitation and skilled nursing facilities in Massachusetts; Kimball Farms, a life care, continuing care retirement community in Lenox, Mass.; Linda Manor Assisted Living in Northampton; Loomis House retirement community in Holyoke; and HospiceCare in The Berkshires and Hospice of Franklin County (Greenfield) for those with life-limiting illnesses. Berkshire Healthcare’s skilled nursing centers provide around-the-clock nursing care and patient-centered rehabilitation services, short-term rehabilitation, and post-acute and long-term care. Berkshire Healthcare is managed by an affiliate of Berkshire Health Systems, the leading provider of comprehensive healthcare services in the Berkshires. For more information visit www.berkshirehealthcare.org.