Supporting Nurses. Strengthening Care. Improving Outcomes

Partners In Care – A Success Story.

Partners In Care is a 5-star nonprofit provider of hospice, palliative, and home health services in Oregon. When they decided to reevaluate their after-hours care model, the goal was clear: prioritize patient care while supporting the nurses who make it all possible. Their home health and hospice nurses had a particularly heavy burden of being on-call nights and weekends, and the leadership team needed a solution that would reduce the after-hours burden on field clinicians and ensure timely, high-quality care for patients and families.

That’s when they partnered with IntellaTriage.

A Shift Toward Proactive, Nurse-First Support

“Our nurses are deeply committed to patient care,” shared the team at Partners In Care. “We wanted to give them the ability to focus on in-person visits during the day and not be pulled in every direction overnight.”

IntellaTriage’s nurse-first triage model made this possible. By taking over after-hours calls and managing them with licensed, hospice-trained nurses, the IntellaTriage team significantly reduced the burden on the Partners In Care team. Over the past year, for example, IntellaTriage answered more than 8,000 calls, with an average speed-to-nurse of 43 seconds. The partnership provided patients and families with the help they needed exactly when they needed it and the quality scores clearly reflect that.

5-Star Ratings and Above-Average Quality Scores

The results speak for themselves. In November of 2024, Partners In Care earned their third-annual five-star rating for the CAHPS Hospice Survey and the HHCAPS (Home Health CAHPS), reflecting their commitment to quality and patient-centered care. These ratings place them in the top percentiles nationally and across Oregon. That same year, on the hospice CAHPS scores specifically, in family satisfaction, Partners In Care scored 84% on the “Getting Timely Help” measure – well above the Oregon average of 74% and the national average of 77%. This CMS metric includes patient-reported satisfaction with after-hours support and the ability to reach a clinician on evenings, weekends, and holidays, all areas directly supported by the IntellaTriage partnership.

Behind the scenes, Partners In Care and IntellaTriage have worked closely to refine protocols, review call data, and continuously improve processes. The provider’s clinical supervisor shared: “It’s been a true collaboration. We started with monthly reviews and now revisit protocols quarterly. We’ve seen improvements every time.”

Data compiled by IntellaHub, IntellaTriage’s proprietary triage platform, helped the team identify and reduce routine overnight calls, such as medication refills and supply issues, by addressing them proactively during the day. As a result, the majority of after-hours calls handled now are clinical in nature, which aligns with Partners In Care’s goals: ensuring families have real-time access to a nurse while protecting the well-being of their staff.

Better Support = Better Patient Care

Partners In Care’s average daily census has grown by 7.5% over the past three years, but their field nurses report improved satisfaction, reduced burnout, and less overnight disruption. By ensuring that nurses can be off when they’re off, the organization is achieving a crucial balance between high-quality care and clinician well-being.

“It’s not about growth,” their leadership emphasized. “It’s about ensuring our nurses are rested and ready to care for all our patients regardless of census size – and that those patients feel supported at every hour of the day.”

They continue to use IntellaTriage’s call data for education and quality initiatives, helping families know what to expect and giving nurses the tools to prevent avoidable overnight calls. “This is an ongoing process,” said their supervisor. “We’re always looking to improve. And the trust is there. IntellaTriage is truly part of the team.”