Compassion for Community: Continuing Care After Death
By Amanda Jepson | Categories: | Comments Off on Compassion for Community: Continuing Care After Death
At NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi and North Central Bronx, in the Bronx, N.Y., decedent holding time in the morgue drastically increased from an average of 72 hours before the COVID-19 pandemic to an average of 13 days in 2022. In addition to affecting the grieving process for patients’ families and loved ones, the delay in decedent release time strains hospital resources by requiring additional personnel and refrigerated space.
An employee in the Department of Pathology who was herself mourning the loss of her parents raised concern about this turnaround time and turned her grief into action. An analysis showed that funeral home capacity, complexities in navigating the funeral process, and high funeral costs contributed significantly to delays in decedent release, with Black decedents more likely to experience longer release turnaround times. The Compassion for Community: Continuing Care After Death program aimed to reduce decedent release turnaround time to improve family support, mitigate racial disparities, promote operational efficiency, and reduce environmental impact.
The program’s multipronged approach included 1) strengthened relationships with community partners including funeral homes and places of worship to identify capacity and support available to families, 2) enhancement of data collection to track capacity, 3) development of a guidebook, “Illuminating Forever Care,” for families that explains the practical aspects of funeral care and includes resources for funeral costs and processes. Written at a sixth grade reading level and available in multiple languages, in print and digitally, the book aims to close racial and ethnic disparities that delay decedent release.
The self-sustaining program operates with existing personnel, including an interdisciplinary team led by the quality management team that comprises staff from pathology, admitting, patient experience, bereavement, and finance. In 2023, 100 percent of decedents were released in eight days or less; in 2024, 90 percent of decedents were released in five days or less. Additionally, the program reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 13.1 metric tons and saved the health system $90,000 in overtime in its first year by minimizing refrigerated trailer use.
The health system would like to dedicate this award to the late Ms. Suzanne Pennacchio, whose legacy of quality/safety transformation we carry forward.