Roraback, Scribner Lead Legislative Effort to Expand Access to Hospice Care

From left – Former Commissioner of the Department of Public Health Norma Gyle; State Senator Andrew Roraback; Cynthia Roy Squitieri, president and CEO of Regional Hospice and Home Care of Western, CT; and Representative David Scribner after today’s committee vote.

Hartford, CT – The General Assembly’s Regulations Review Committee, co-chaired by State Senator Andrew Roraback (R-Goshen), today approved new regulations that will make it easier to build and operate modern hospice residences in underserved areas of Connecticut. The new regulations, written by the Department of Public Health, were triggered by the near unanimous passage of H.B. 5499 earlier this year (unanimous in the House; 33-3 in the Senate). State Representative David Scribner (R-107) was a chief proponent of that bill, helping to amass more than 90 legislative co-sponsors. Both legislators celebrated today’s news.

“Today’s legislative action will provide Connecticut families with greater access to hospice care for their loved ones at facilities within their own communities. So many good people who have dedicated their lives to caring for the sick and comforting their families helped guide the Department of Public Health in drafting these new regulations. I am grateful for their input and their commitment to their profession,” said Senator Roraback.

Connecticut’s hospice regulations had not been updated in more than 30 years. The new regulations set reasonable standards for creating smaller hospice facilities in more communities, including clinical outcome measures instead of staff-to-patient ratios and the elimination of the 24-hour in-house pharmacy requirement. Similar regulations govern hospice facilities in other states where access to smaller stand-alone in-patient facilities is more prevalent. The new regulations will not impact existing licensed facilities.

“Since the original hospice regulations were adopted in 1977, emerging forms of healthcare and advancing medical practices have created a pressing need for improvement,” said Rep. Scribner, who is also a member of the Board of Directors for Regional Hospice and Home Care of Western Connecticut. “After years of advocacy, I am thrilled we were able to enhance palliative care for patients and their families who deserve greater comfort and support during a difficult time.”

Passage of the new regulations further paves the way for Regional Hospice and Home Care of Western CT’s plans to build a state-of-the-art, 12 bed, in-patient palliative care facility in Danbury.

“Patients and families in every corner of Connecticut deserve access to inpatient hospice residences nearby, enabling families and patients to stay in their communities,” said Cynthia Roy Squitieri, president and CEO of Regional Hospice and Home Care of Western CT. “These new regulations are an important step toward helping us fill an unmet need in western Connecticut.”

Rep. Scribner added “I am proud of the collaboration between the Department of Public Health, the Public Health Committee and the leaders of the regional hospice networks in the state. They have all helped to ensure these new regulations are of the highest standard.”