The University of Virginia School of Nursing will use data collected from a Florida hospice, St. Augustine’s Haven Hospice, in a study on patient satisfaction. Findings from the study will support research done on hospice care in general as well as the services provided by the Haven facility. The study will make a significant impact on the services that are provided by the hospice.

The school has been awarded the Ruth Lanford Research Award for research in rural communities and will use the funds to study issues important in hospice care. The goal of the study is to determine how satisfied patients and their families are with hospice care and how various factors influence their satisfaction. Assistant professors Marianne Baernholdt and Cathy Campbell will attempt to find correlations between patient and family satisfaction and factors such as whether they live in urban or rural areas, certain demographic information, and services that the hospice offers. With their findings from this study, Baernholdt and Campbell hope to improve the effectiveness of hospice care.

This study will benefit Haven Hospice immensely. The hospice plans to use findings to improve the care it provides to its patients and their families. Baernholdt, Campbell, and their team plan to focus on minority patients who live in rural areas and live under the poverty line. The results of this study will be especially relevant to Haven, because over 30% of its patients live under the poverty line, and many of its patients come from minority backgrounds.

Haven Hospice has been operating for thirty years. It has been recognized for its leadership within Florida, as well as nationwide, and its participation in this study is an example of such leadership. Haven Hospice is an excellent example of an organization that serves under-served populations, and it is now taking steps to make its benefits even more comprehensive.