SMH Makes Honor Roll in Nation’s First Tipping Point Challenge

Sarasota Memorial Hospital was among 95 organizations to receive national recognition for developing innovative programs and completing specialized training that is improving care for people living with a serious illness.

The Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC) announced on Wednesday the inaugural honor roll of the first John A. Hartford Foundation Tipping Point Challenge. A national innovation and quality improvement challenge sponsored by CAPC and the Hartford foundation, the challenge is the cornerstone of a five-year campaign aimed at creating a tipping point in the improvement of care delivered to millions of Americans living with a serious illness. Over 1500 organizations participated.

“Ours is a relatively small program, but growing steadily due to the incredible teamwork of our doctors and clinicians, and hospital-wide support for the practice of palliative medicine here at Sarasota Memorial Hospital,” said Joelle Vlahakis, MD, medical director of Sarasota Memorial Supportive Care Services.

SMH’s supportive care services team includes board-certified palliative medicine doctors, specialty-trained nurses and others who provide patients with serious or prolonged illness an extra layer of support during their hospital stay. They collaborate with each patient’s team of healthcare providers — including primary care physicians and specialists such as oncologists, surgeons and cardiologists — to ensure customized care and treatment that is centered around what is important to the patient and his or her loved ones.

The goal of the first Tipping Point Challenge was to help health care organizations expand the ability to effectively care for seriously ill patients by enhancing skills among clinicians across a range of medical specialties. These include communication, pain management, and symptom management skills directed at the complex needs of people living with serious illness. 

According to Diane E. Meier, MD, director of the Center to Advance Palliative Care, “The enthusiasm and heightened activity of health care organizations across the country to rapidly enhance skills that are not usually the focus of training in medical school, is a testament to the thirst and extraordinary need to improve the quality of care provided to people living with serious illness. The competition also shows a very productive collaboration between clinicians and their C-Suite leaders that energizes, inspires, and demonstrates high levels of leadership.”

From more than 1,500 participating health care organizations, 24 won the competition and 71, including SMH, achieved Honor Roll status. The second Challenge will be announced in Spring 2020 and will focus specifically on the development of innovation.