Four Seasons named the No. 1 hospice care provider in WNC

Press release

From Four Seasons:

FLAT ROCK, N.C. – A respected hospice care provider in North Carolina for almost a decade, Four Seasons Compassion for Life, http://www.fourseasonscfl.org leads the western region of the state for its significant percentage of patients served.

Over the last five years, Four Seasons has maintained the highest death service ratio in western N.C., according to figures in an annual statewide Death Service Ratio (DSR) report released last month.

A simple, practical measure for monitoring hospice use by patients and families, the Death Service Ratio is an annual record of how many individuals at end of life received hospice care.

Four Seasons serves an average of 1,000 persons daily, providing care to a significant percentage of regional patients at their end of life through its hospice and palliative care programs. These counties served include, but are not limited to:

• Henderson – of 1,279 deaths, 810 persons or 63.33 percent
• Buncombe – of 2,392 deaths, 1,039 persons or 43.44 percent
• Macon – of 482 deaths, 140 persons or 29.05 percent
• Jackson – of 325 deaths, 111 persons or 31.15 percent
• Swain – of 177 deaths, 73 persons or 41.24 percent
• Transylvania – of 376 deaths, 205 persons or 54.52 percent

Additionally, family satisfaction with Four Seasons’ quality of care remains in the top 10 percent in the United States. For information on Four Seasons’ services, visit http://www.fourseasonscfl.org.

“One of the best indicators of how well a hospice organization serves those who need its services remains the death service ratio,” says Chris Comeaux, president and chief executive officer of Four Seasons.

In 2012, of 81,798 deaths statewide, North Carolina estimates indicate 33,060 persons, or 40.42 percent, received hospice care, according to data prepared by the Carolinas Center for Hospice and End of Life Care.

“Providing the best end-of-life care to all those who need it in western North Carolina remains central to the Four Seasons vision and mission” says Comeaux.

Learn more about Four Seasons’ values and mission at http://www.fourseasonscfl.org.

Hospice utilization trends continued to show increase across the nation in 2011. North Carolina ranked sixth in the country, and tracked an average hospice utilization rate of 40.6 percent. An estimated 1.65 million people living with a life-limiting illness received care from hospice and palliative care providers in the U.S., compared with 1.58 million in 2010, according to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.

Four Seasons Compassion for Life is a non-profit organization with a dedicated team of health care professionals, social workers, spiritual care professionals and volunteers. Nationally known for its leadership in innovative, quality hospice services, Four Seasons is a Circle of Life award recipient from the American Medical Association. For more information, visit http://www.fourseasonscfl.org.