Hospice Savannah Joins 70 Not-for-Profit Hospice & Serious Illness Care Providers To Launch A Toll-Free 24/7 Hotline
by Terri Collins, VP, Business Development & Strategy
When faced with a serious illness or need for end-of-life care that they wish to receive at home, many people prefer a not-for-profit hospice and palliative care provider with deep roots in their community. They want a care provider that’s driven by a mission to serve, not by profits—but too often don’t know where to turn.
This choice becomes even more difficult when searching for care providers for an out-of-town family member. If you’re not from the area where care will be provided, it’s hard to know who to contact. That’s why we’ve joined a national telephone referral network of 70 + not-for-profit providers, under the umbrella of the National Partnership for Hospice Innovation (NPHI). Dialing 1-844-GET-NPHI (1-844-438-6744), will put family in touch with the not-for-profit provider closest to their loved one.
Our local number (912.355.2289) is the one to call for help here in Bryan, Chatham, Effingham and Liberty counties, and our new national toll-free number makes a 
complicated long-distance process simpler. In either case, we will work to ensure people get the care they need, from the clinicians they want.
One key characteristic that sets Hospice Savannah, Inc. and its fellow NPHI member programs apart from other hospice providers is their not-for-profit status. According to a recent study conducted by Milliman—an independent risk management, benefits, and technology firm—not-for-profit hospices devote their resources to direct patient care. This includes providing to patients more visits for nursing (10 percent), social work (35 percent) and therapy (twice as much) than the average for-profit hospice. Like Hospice Savannah’s Full Circle, all NPHI members serve as a primary bereavement and grief counseling resource for their entire communities, in addition to supporting those whose family or friends received hospice care from them.
Our focus is on providing compassionate care to anyone living with serious illness, and have served our community for 40 years. When families consider their care options for a loved one, our hope is that they choose us. If care is needed outside of our service area, our hope is they choose another NPHI member program. It can make a huge difference in their loved one’s quality of life in their final months, weeks, and days.
About the National Partnership for Hospice Innovation: The National Partnership for Hospice Innovation (NPHI), formed in 2014, is a collaborative of 70+ not-for-profit, community-integrated, hospice and palliative care providers from across the United States who play a unique role as a crucial safety net for the sickest, most vulnerable patients in the communities they serve.