PNW PACE Partners provides innovative care for seniors
Older adults are the fastest-growing population segment in the United States, and many in this age group have complex medical and social needs that may not be well met by traditional health care models.
Pacific Northwest (PNW) PACE Partners, part of MultiCare, provides an alternative model of care that aims to support the health, safety and independence of vulnerable seniors while reducing the burden for family caregivers who may struggle to support them.
Winner of a 2023 MultiCare CEO & President’s Award, PNW PACE Partners extends multidisciplinary, all-inclusive and highly coordinated care to adults 55 and older.
Participants meet Washington state’s requirement for long-term care services yet wish to remain at home — or in another community setting — and can do so safely (other criteria apply).
“Many of our patients come from marginalized backgrounds, have multiple chronic conditions and face socioeconomic barriers that jeopardize their health and independence,” says Kara Jovag, outreach coordinator for PNW PACE Partners. “PACE helps bring health equity to this group, and we do that by looking holistically at each patient.”
Following an initial assessment of each patient’s personal and medical needs, the PACE team — which includes nurses, nurse practitioners, social workers, therapists and physicians — develops a customized care plan and coordinates service out of the PNW PACE Partners Center in Tacoma.
The PACE Center offers an ambulatory clinic, adult day center, therapy gym, administrative space for social work, registered dietitian services and home care coordination. PACE services take place at the Center and the participant’s home.
The PACE model, which follows the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s age-friendly framework, can reduce unnecessary visits to the emergency department (ED), decrease hospitalizations and eliminate or delay nursing home placements, empowering seniors to live in the comfort of their own home or community as long as possible.
Launched in 2022, PNW PACE Partners enrolled 62 members in its inaugural year, making it the fastest-growing new PACE program across the country. In 2023, PNW PACE Partners enrolled 79 new members and served 126 individual patients.