Fort Lauderdale, Florida - VITAS Healthcare is proud to announce its third inpatient unit (IPU) with Broward Health. Located on the second floor of Broward Health Medical Center’s west wing, the IPU is expected to care for more than 400 patients each year. Eight patient rooms with special amenities provide homelike comfort in a clinically optimized setting. Friends and family can visit 24/7—in accordance with current health guidelines and safety protocols—and utilize overnight accommodations to remain by their loved one’s side.
VITAS IPUs offer a temporary home away from home for patients near the end of life when symptoms can no longer be managed in their preferred setting of care. Patients receive 24/7 care from an interdisciplinary VITAS team comprising a physician, nurse, social worker, chaplain, volunteer and bereavement expert. Together, the team attends to the medical, emotional, social and spiritual needs of patients and their families. The VITAS Inpatient Hospice Unit at Broward Health Medical Center marks the company’s fifth IPU in Broward County, with others at Broward Health North, Broward Health Coral Springs, the Florida Medical Center, and Sunrise Health and Rehabilitation Center.
“As the nation’s leading provider of end-of-life care, we are honored to partner with the Broward Health system to offer comprehensive, compassionate care to their patients and families,” said Betty Bel, vice president of operations at VITAS. “The benefit is two-fold in that patients with advanced illness have greater support to align with their goals of care, and hospital staff can rely on our specialized teams to provide a smooth transition to the nearby in-hospital inpatient unit.”
“Broward Health is proud of our long-standing, successful healthcare partnership with VITAS and looks forward to expanding our services together,” said Shane Strum, president and CEO of Broward Health. “Now, just as we do at other Broward Health hospitals, our hospice-eligible patients at Broward Health Medical Center can experience timely transitions to the expert end-of-life care that VITAS is known to provide.”
- Clinicians can download the VITAS Healthcare mobile app for 24/7 referrals, locations, and interactive hospice eligibility guidelines, or contact VITAS 24/7 at 800.93.VITAS.
VITAS has provided hospice care in Broward County since 1980 in patients’ homes, their preferred care settings and inpatient units. Clinicians and care teams are available 24/7 to provide care and answer questions. Want to join the nation’s leading provider of end-of-life care? VITAS is hiring! Discover a fulfilling career and find available openings at careers.vitas.com.
Broward Health, founded in 1938 and headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, ranks among the 10 largest public healthcare systems in the United States. Nationally recognized for its focus on high-quality care for the residents of Broward County and beyond, Broward Health boasts five hospitals, two trauma centers, a dynamic academic partnership with Florida Atlantic University, was the county’s first statutory teaching hospital and has an ever-growing graduate medical education program. It includes more than 50 health centers and physician practices covering virtually every healthcare specialty.
Broward Health never stops working toward its mission of Exceptional Care, Extraordinary Compassion and Everyday Excellence. Driven by more than 11,000 talented employees and physicians who deliver care to all patients, regardless of their ability to pay, Broward Health is one of the largest employers in Broward County with an operating budget of $1.6 billion, and annually provides more than $522.6 million of charity and uncompensated care.
For more information about Broward Health, visit BrowardHealth.org.