Samaritan, a leading provider of home-based hospice and palliative care in South Jersey, has been awarded the Palliative/Hospice Heart Failure certification from the American Heart Association (AHA). Samaritan is the first hospice in New Jersey to achieve this certification, which recognizes adherence to rigorous, evidence-based standards for the care of heart failure patients.
The AHA certification provides a quality assurance framework, evaluating palliative and hospice agencies against the association’s latest science-based guidelines specific to heart failure patients.
“This certification helps assure patients and families can have confidence that their end-of-life heart failure care is coordinated and follows the latest evidence-based guidelines,” Dr. Kristen Schaefer, American Heart Association volunteer and vice president, associate chief medical officer at Care Dimensions, said.
The certification confirms that Samaritan’s heart failure program:
-
Uses a standardized method of delivering services aligned with current AHA science.
-
Adheres to evidence-based requirements designed to improve care and quality of life for heart failure patients.
-
Is recognized by the AHA based on professional evaluation criteria designed by heart failure and home care experts.
Samaritan provides life-enhancing care to more than 12,500 patients and their families each year across the region. Receiving this distinction underscores the organization’s focus on clinical excellence in managing complex conditions.
“Samaritan is proud to receive this certification from the American Heart Association,” said Dr. Sara Pagliaro, chief medical officer at Samaritan. “The tools and resources provided by the American Heart Association help us provide education and opportunities for our agencies to work toward quality efforts for our patients with heart failure. This accomplishment reflects our commitment to provide quality care.”
