Capital Caring Health Earns Accreditation from National Institute For Jewish Hospice

May 11, 2020 – Falls Church, Virginia – Capital Caring Health recently earned accreditation from the National Institute For Jewish Hospice (NIJH). The accreditation affirms Capital Caring Health’s commitment to serving Jewish patients and families in a culturally sensitive way.

Capital Caring Health is the only hospice organization in Washington, D.C., to achieve this accreditation, and is among only one other hospice organization to earn this accreditation in both Maryland and Virginia.

“Our organization is committed to meeting the needs of the diverse populations we serve,” said Tom Koutsoumpas, President and CEO of Capital Caring Health.

“We are honored to earn this important accreditation which allows our organization to provide an even greater level of specialized support and end-of-life care for the Jewish terminally ill,” Koutsoumpas added.

Accreditation from the NIJH required that leaders within Capital Caring Health, including social workers, nurses, administrators, and clergy/chaplains, attend a national conference to gain an understanding of Jewish medical ethics in hospice care as well as Jewish aspects of consolation and bereavement. Additionally, NIJH required that CCH provide training on Jewish End-of-Life Caring and medical ethics to its 1,000-plus staff throughout Capital Caring Health.

“The NIJH training and education has provided our staff with an enhanced understanding of Jewish culture and unique aspects of Jewish grief and mourning,” said Altonia Garrett, RN, MBA, Vice President of Public Affairs and Strategic Partnerships, and co-chair of Capital Caring Health’s Inclusion and Diversity Committee.

Garrett added, “We are integrating our understanding of Jewish medical ethics into hospice care in order to provide the best possible care to patients and their families of the Jewish faith.”

NIJH has accredited and reaccredited 225 Jewish hospice programs in the United States. NIJH was established in 1985 and serves as a resource and educational center for hospices, hospitals, family services, medical organizations, and all healthcare agencies, educating them on the issues and challenges of serving the Jewish terminally ill.

About Capital Caring Health
Capital Caring Health is one of the leading nonprofit providers of elder health, hospice, and advanced illness care for persons of all ages in the mid-Atlantic region.  A member of a national network of 70 nonprofit hospice providers, our mission is to provide patients and their families with advanced illness care that is second to none.  We also have special hospice teams serving children and veterans.  On an annual basis, we serve over 7,000 hospice patients and provide more than $3 million in charity care to those who are uninsured and have nowhere else to turn.  Almost 90 cents out of every dollar goes to caring for patients and their families. Our website, www.capitalcaring.org, is available in English, Spanish, and Korean, plus offers 24/7 Live Chat.  Since the beginning of hospice care over 40 years ago, we have served 120,000 patients and their families in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

24-Hour Care Line:  (800) 869-2136 www.capitalcaring.org