NEW YORK, Nov. 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, affirming its commitment to scaling evidence-based, innovative interventions that provide equitable, person-centered, and trustworthy care, The Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation announced a $250,000 Hillman Innovation Dissemination (HID) grant to Rural Huntsman at Home. Launched in 2017, the HID program supports the scaling efforts of established nursing-driven interventions with proven outcomes that target the needs of marginalized populations.
Rural Huntsman at Home is housed at the Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah and is uniquely focused on meeting the needs of cancer patients in rural Utah. Adapted from the hospital at home concept, it provides a suite of hospital-quality clinical services for cancer symptom monitoring and management in the home. Among its many evidence-based benefits, Rural Huntsman at Home improves quality of life for patients and families, shortens patients’ hospital stays after treatment, reduces emergency room visits, and lowers health care costs.
“Cancer patients in rural areas, particularly those who require lengthy travel to access treatment, experience significant disparities in health outcomes, survival rates, and quality of life,” said Ahrin Mishan, Executive Director of The Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation. “Rural Huntsman at Home is addressing these inequities head-on by providing acute and supportive care directly to patients in their homes in low-resource, remote communities.”
After three years of successful program delivery in Utah, Rural Huntsman at Home will be scaling its efforts across the Mountain West, to include Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. Building on a 2019 Hillman Innovations in Care grant, which helped to launch the program, the HID funds will enable Rural Huntsman at Home to develop a business plan and a scaling playbook, as well as a value-based reimbursement model for the program.
“We are deeply grateful for our continued partnership with The Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation. Their support will be instrumental in helping to disseminate Rural Huntsman at Home,” said Kathi Mooney, PhD, RN, FAAN, Distinguished Professor at the University of Utah College of Nursing, Co-Leader of the Cancer Control and Population Sciences Program at the Huntsman Cancer Institute, and principal investigator of the HID grant. “The Huntsman Cancer Institute, where our program was developed, is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in this five-state region, and we believe strongly that this high-quality care should be equally available to our neighbors in frontier and rural communities.”
About The Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation
The Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation advances bold, nursing-driven innovations that promote equitable, person-centered, and trustworthy care. It is committed to improving the health and healthcare of all people, especially populations who experience inequity, discrimination, and indifference. Its goal is to help ignite and develop game-changing interventions and to cultivate a vibrant ecosystem of nurse innovators, grantees, and partners dedicated to building a healthier, more equitable future for all. For more information, please visit www.rahf.org.
Media Contact
Takouhi Mosoian, The Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation (press@rahf.org)
