Patients and their loved ones can now rest assured they are receiving the best, in-home palliative care in Georgia. Northeast Georgia Medical Center’s (NGMC) In-Home Palliative Care program is the first in the state to be accredited by Community Health Accreditation Partner (CHAP), an independent, non-profit accrediting organization for home and community-based healthcare organizations.

“Receiving this certification proves that we are exceeding the industry’s standards of care for our patients and their families,” said Leena Dutta, MD, medical director of Hospice & In-Home Palliative Care at NGMC. “No one wants to talk about serious illness, but it’s important for our community to know that we are there for them in their time of need.”

CHAP Accreditation shows NGMC’s in-home palliative care program meets the industry’s highest standards for care. In order for a program to be CHAP certified, the palliative care service must have the right processes in place to ensure long-term success. Through unscheduled, in-person visits, the organization is evaluated for its clinical care quality and patient experiences.

In addition to this certification, NGMC recently received accreditation for the Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship program by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Fellows are provided with the education and training to become experts at caring for people with chronic illnesses or at the end of life.

“NGMC is dedicated to teaching the clinicians of tomorrow the importance of Hospice and Palliative Medicine,” said John Delzell, Jr., MD, vice president of Medical Education for Northeast Georgia Health System and Designated Institutional Official for NGMC. “I am proud of the work of our programs and their continued passion for excellence.”

To learn more about NGMC’s In-Home Palliative Care services, visit nghs.com/IHPAL.