Via Christi HOPE
935 S. Glendale• Wichita, KS 67218
(316) 858-1111

Mark Bailey, CEO

A new program opening its doors in Wichita this September offers an innovative approach to services for older persons seeking an alternative to nursing home care.

The first PACE (Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly) site in the state of Kansas will celebrate its grand opening Friday, September 20, in the Parklane Shopping Center at Lincoln and Oliver.

The grand opening marks the culmination of years of development work on the part of Via Christi Senior Services, which is sponsoring the program in Sedgwick County. The Via Christi site, known as Via Christi HOPE (Healthcare Outreach Program for the Elderly), will be the 37th PACE site to open in the United States, and the first program in the country to be launched under permanent provider status, duly certified Medicare and Medicaid.

"The PACE model of care is a mainstream, one-stop acute and long-term care option for older adults eligible for nursing home care," says Shawn Bloom, president of the National PACE Association in Washington, D.C.

Via Christi HOPE (VCH) offers an alternative to nursing home care for those who require long-term health care but wish to remain living in their own home, says Mark Bailey, CEO. "The program helps people live at home, receive long-term care services and still remain part of their community."

Via Christi HOPE not only covers all traditional Medicare and Medicaid benefits, but also coordinates services and provides the care. VCH services are provided by a team of professionals specialized in the care of older adults, with the goal of maintaining participants' health and independence.

Two of the key components of VCH are an adult day health center an an on-site medical clinic in the Parklane Shopping Center. The program includes medications, medical tests, adult day services, nursing care, personal care, nutritional services, primary medical care, rehabilitation services, social services, life enrichment activities and transportation. Other available services include dental care, audiology, medical equipment, home-delivered meals, home health care, homemaking services, vision and podiatry.

"The program is unique in that even if hospital or nursing home stays are necessary, Via Christi HOPE will cover that need," explains Bailey, adding VCH provides another means to serve those living in Sedgwick County who are eligible for Medicare and Medicaid services.

The PACE model of care was created in 1973 in an effort to help the Asian-American community in San Francisco care for its elders in their own homes. The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 established the PACE model as a permanently-recognized provider type under both the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

The PACE model is centered around the belief that it is better for the well-being of older adults with chronic care needs and their families - as well as a better use of public resources - to receive services in the community whenever possible," says Bloom.

For more information on the program, please call Via Christi HOPE at 858-1111.