Confluence Health Strengthens Home Health & Hospice Care

The Dorothy platform introduction brings home health and hospice care onto Epic, the same electronic health record system used throughout Confluence Health, which includes the patient portal known as MyChart. This integration helps ensure care teams have a more complete, connected view of each patient’s health which supports safer, more seamless care during some of life’s most vulnerable moments.

“Home health and hospice care play a vital role in supporting patients and families, particularly in rural communities,” said Robert Pageler, chief information officer at Confluence Health. “With Dorothy and Comfort, we are strengthening how our teams connect, communicate, and coordinate care. This ensures our patients receive the right care, at the right time, in the place they call home.”

This important advancement was made possible in part through the support of the Confluence Health Foundation and the generosity of community members who have invested in compassionate, community-based care over many years.

“Our mission at the Confluence Health Foundation is to enhance and support Confluence Health’s ability to provide safe and superior healthcare close to home,” commented Suzanne Carté-Cocroft, chief philanthropy officer for Confluence Health. “The funding made possible by our donors then is able to work to strengthen programs and services, such as Dorothy and Comfort, that directly support patients, families, and caregivers, particularly in areas where access to coordinated healthcare can be challenging.”

Though home health and hospice care previously used a different system, unifying the systems reduces administrative complexity for clinicians and improves continuity between inpatient, outpatient, and homebased care. Care teams can more easily access patient information, collaborate across disciplines, and focus on what matters most: providing excellent care and service to patients in the places they feel most comfortable near their loved ones and support network.

This launch reflects Confluence Health’s continued commitment to investing in people, technology, and partnerships that improve the patient experience. The organization worked closely with clinical, operational, technical, and philanthropic partners over the past year to prepare for the transition and ensure a smooth go live so healthcare for the region can move forward together.

“This is more than a technology upgrade,” added Kelly Allen, chief nursing officer at Confluence Health. “It reflects our community’s shared commitment to caring for patients and families with dignity, compassion, and connection,
especially when care is delivered in the home.”