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Vital Decisions Named a Finalist in URAC’s Best Practices in Health Care Consumer Empowerment and Protection Awards
Vital Decisions’ Living Well Program will be among distinguished award winners at Best Practices Conference & Exhibit, April 1-2, 2009
Washington, D.C. Nov. 11, 2008 – URAC, a leading independent accrediting organization, has announced that a distinguished panel of judges selected Vital Decisions as one of 23 finalists in its Best Practices in Health Care Consumer Empowerment and Protection Awards competition. The competition drew entries from across the nation. The finalists will be honored during the 2009 Best Practices Conference & Exhibit, April 1-2, 2009 in Orlando, Fla.
Finalists are invited to present their winning programs at the Best Practices Conference & Exhibit and URAC educational events throughout the year. Presentations will showcase best practices in two categories: consumer decision-making and consumer health improvement.
Vital Decisions’ Living Well Program fosters informed patient decision-making during the end of life. Using a proprietary counseling methodology Vital Decisions’ Living Well Program helps individuals and families facing serious illness identify, communicate and incorporate their preferences and priorities into care decisions so that they can live well during this time.
“The Best Practices Awards and Conference provide a unique opportunity for leaders in health care management to learn what premier companies are doing to advance consumer protection and empowerment,” said Alan Spielman, URAC’s president and CEO. “It is a one-of-a kind conference, designed to inspire the industry as a whole to rapidly adopt proven practices that advance patient safety and empower consumers with improved decision-making tools.”
Entries were judged by a distinguished panel of judges, chaired by epidemiologist Thomas W. Wilson, Ph.D, DrPH, Trajectory HealthCare, LLC. The 30-member panel included the best and most widely recognized experts in program evaluation, care coordination, health information technology, employer and purchaser decision making and patient safety. Entries were reviewed and scored by the judges based on objective criteria.
“It is an honor that our work is being recognized by URAC. Our organization is extremely proud of our innovative Living Well Program and the impact that it is making on thousands of lives each year. Along with our health care plan clients, who share our mission of improving the quality of care at the end of life, we believe that our patient centric approach benefits patients and their families and addresses the significant resource issues currently impacting our health care system,” said Mitchell Daitz, CEO of Vital Decisions.
All finalists are invited to attend a black tie dinner event during the conference, when they will discover how they will be distinguished as award winners. Gold, Silver, Bronze and Honorable Mention Award winners in each of the four organization categories will be announced at the dinner. Platinum Award winners will also be announced, in the two topic categories.
For a complete list of judges, go to
http://www.urac.org/bestpractices/websitejudges.asp
About URAC
URAC, an independent, nonprofit organization, is well-known as a leader in promoting health care quality through its accreditation and certification programs. URAC offers a wide range of quality benchmarking programs and services that keep pace with the rapid changes in the health care system, and provide a symbol of excellence for organizations to validate their commitment to quality and accountability. Through its broad-based governance structure and an inclusive standards development process, URAC ensures that all stakeholders are represented in establishing meaningful quality measures for the entire health care industry. For more information, visit www.urac.org
About Vital Decisions
Vital Decisions is the leader in providing health care counseling services to individuals and their families who are facing serious medical situations. Their proprietary counseling methodology, called the Living Well Program, enables patients to become more active participants in identifying, communicating and incorporating their individual preferences and priorities into current and future decisions about their care. For more information, visit www.vitaldecisions.net