Press Release: Tuchman Family Foundation Partners with Danbury Hospital to Expand Palliative Care at Home Program
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Media contact:
Amy Fletcher Faircloth
(720) 460-0276
Denver — The Tuchman Family Foundation is partnering with Danbury Hospital to help the organization expand its Palliative Care at Home Program. With the foundation’s support, the hospital is launching new initiatives to broaden the scope and caliber of care it provides to seriously ill patients receiving care at home.
Danbury Hospital established its Palliative Care at Home Program in 2016, offering patients and families compassionate and personalized care at home – whether that’s a private residence, assisted living facility, skilled nursing facility or other living arrangement. The program takes a specialized and team-based approach to care, delivered by specialty-trained physicians, nurses, social workers and other clinicians, who focus on providing relief from symptoms while also improving overall quality of life for patients and their caregivers.
The Tuchmans’ support of the hospital’s Palliative Care at Home Program was inspired by their own experience with the hospital’s services. Ken Tuchman’s father, Sam Tuchman, received care through the program for several years.
“My father’s life was extended numerous years in the most meaningful way as a result of the extraordinary care provided by Danbury Hospital’s Palliative Care at Home program. The dedication and level of compassion the team provides around the clock is truly remarkable,” said Ken Tuchman, co-founder of the Tuchman Family Foundation. “We are eternally grateful for the support we received and are honored to help expand the program to serve more patients.”
The foundation has pledged $250,000 for the program, a portion of which will fund the purchase of computer tablets to expand telehealth services for Palliative Care at Home patients and their families. Through telehealth, palliative care team members are able to better monitor patients and manage symptoms, intervening early if necessary to provide optimal comfort as soon as possible.
The funding will also help offset the salary of a full-time community health worker, who will help educate, support and advocate for the health and wellness of Palliative Care at Home patients. The new staffer will work with the clinical team to identify and manage medical issues, provide patients and families with direct behavioral counseling, coordinate care among multiple agencies and offer support and education to caregivers in home settings.
The partnership between the foundation and Danbury Hospital comes at a crucial time. Millions of Americans live with a serious illness, and this number is expected to grow substantially over the next 25 years. Palliative care is the fastest-growing medical specialty in the United States, and its steady growth is attributed both to the number of Americans living with serious illness, as well as the overwhelming caregiving burdens faced by families. Palliative care addresses these challenges by building strong alliances between patients, family and healthcare providers.
“It’s very rewarding to work with patients and families in their homes to relieve symptoms of suffering. To provide this care is truly a gift and we thank the Tuchman Family Foundation for allowing us to expand our ability to deliver this service,” said Dr. Jo-Ann Maroto-Soltis, a hospitalist and palliative care physician with Danbury Hospital.
About Nuvance Health
Nuvance Health is a system of award-winning nonprofit hospitals and outpatient healthcare services throughout the Hudson Valley and western Connecticut, including Danbury Hospital and its New Milford campus, Norwalk Hospital and Sharon Hospital in Connecticut; Northern Dutchess Hospital, Putnam Hospital and Vassar Brothers Medical Center in New York.
Nuvance Health offers the latest prevention, diagnostic, medical, surgical and rehabilitation services, including through the Cancer, Heart & Vascular and Neuroscience Institutes; and primary and specialty care services through Nuvance Health Medical Practices. Nuvance Health also provides convenient healthcare through home care, urgent care and telehealth visits.
About the Tuchman Family Foundation
Based in Denver, the Tuchman Family Foundation embodies the entrepreneurial spirit of its founders, Kenneth and Debra Tuchman, in its efforts to help people build safe, healthy and productive lives. The foundation is committed to advancing K-12 education innovation, breakthrough medical research, positive social change, community well-being and environmental sustainability.
