Pathways Pharmacist Denise Schoenberger Honored for Healthcare Excellence by Silicon Valley Business Journal
Sunnyvale, CA (PRWEB) August 27, 2013 -- Denise Schoenberger, a clinical pharmacist at Pathways Home Health & Hospice, was honored by the Silicon Valley Business Journal for Excellence in Healthcare for her role in establishing the Pharmacist Assisted Transition Home (PATH) program. PATH is an innovative medication management program where a pharmacist makes house calls as part of a home health nursing team that provides patient care from hospital to home. Schoenberger was one of six healthcare professionals recognized by the Silicon Valley Business Journal for leadership and creativity in Santa Clara County.
PATH is a joint venture with Sequoia Hospital, a Dignity Health member, and has been successfully keeping at risk patients in their homes and preventing them from being re-hospitalized. Pathways Home Health & Hospice has been affiliated with Sequoia and El Camino Hospitals since 1986.
As the program’s pharmacist, Schoenberger visits patients at Sequoia Hospital when they are preparing for discharged. She provides them with medication education and guidance to prepare them for a smooth transition to home. She then visits the same patients again in their homes, where she coaches both the patients and their caregivers about medication management and how to take an active role in their healthcare.
“Denise is a key member of our home health nursing team,” said Georgia Rock, COO at Pathways Home Health & Hospice. “She shares her pharmacological expertise to create the best care plan possible for our patients. Her approach to patient care has resulted in many of our patients staying home and avoiding re-hospitalization. This award is well deserved.”
Pathways Home Health & Hospice has several transition care programs in addition to PATH. Many of these programs address the unique needs of older adults suffering from chronic illness. Without focused intervention, these patients are at a higher risk of medical emergencies leading to re-hospitalization. Pathways has implemented these evidence-based programs to help this high risk group of patients.
About Pathways Home Health & Hospice
Pathways Home Health & Hospice is a non-profit, community-based organization with more than 36 years of assisting Bay Area families. Pathways was founded in 1977 by a group of Stanford physicians and community members who saw the need for professional care at home. That first year, Pathways served 12 patients. Pathways now serves over 5,000 families a year in San Francisco, Alameda, Santa Clara, San Mateo and Contra Costa Counties.
Affiliated with El Camino and Sequoia Hospitals since 1986, Pathways Home Health & Hospice is accredited by The Joint Commission, and is a member of the Visiting Nurse Association of America, California Hospice & Palliative Care Association, and the California Association of Health Services at Home. Pathways Home Health & Hospice is a designated 2012 HomeCare Elite Agency for Quality Care.
Judy Conner, Pathways Home Health, Hospice, & Private Duty, http://www.pathwayshealth.org/index.html, (408)773-4284, [email protected]
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