For Immediate Release
September 23, 2020
Contact: Joellen Leavelle, jleavelle@n4a.org and 202-719-8890

WASHINGTON—Today, the Aging and Disability Business Institute presented JASA with The John A. Hartford Foundation 2020 Business Innovation Award for its work to support the critical needs of older adults transitioning from hospital stays back to their homes at the National Association for Area Agencies on Aging’s (n4a) Virtual Conference and Tradeshow. By developing partnerships with local hospitals, JASA found innovative ways to enable healthy aging at home and in the community, which is where most older adults want to be.

JASA’s home-based care transitions program targets older adults who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid or who are uninsured by addressing the social determinants of health, such as access to healthy food, reliable transportation and adequate housing, to reduce hospital readmission rates and improve the overall health and well-being of participants. The program uses a unique staffing model, comprised of care transition/discharge specialists, social workers and peer health coaches, to provide a coordinated approach to care transitions. The program’s results speak to its success: 11 percent of participants were readmitted to the hospital compared to an average of 18 to 22 percent that the organization’s hospital partners report for similar populations.

“We thank n4a’s Aging and Disability Business Institute and The John A. Hartford Foundation for this extraordinary recognition of JASA’s work to support safe care transitions from hospital to home for older adults,” said Arielle Basch, JASA’s Senior Director, Health Services and Business Development. “This work underscores the power of clinical-community partnerships to improve the quality of care for seniors—effectively addressing the social determinants of health, preventing avoidable hospital admissions, and enabling stable home-based functioning. As the go-to agency serving 40,000+ older adults, we look forward to growing our services and continuing to create sustainable models at the intersection of the health care and social service systems.”

“The inspiring achievements JASA has made through its care transitions program have helped ease what, for many adults, can be a difficult transition from the hospital back to their homes in the community,” said n4a CEO Sandy Markwood. “By working with local hospitals, JASA has embedded its work to address the social determinants of health into the fabric of its partnerships with their health care partners, which will result in positive health outcomes for older adults participating in the program. It is partnerships like these that serve as models for community-based organizations seeking to improve health outcomes among the older adults they serve.”

Runners up for The John A. Hartford Foundation 2020 Business Innovation Award are Homage for its case management program, Lifespan of Greater Rochester for its Community Care Connections Program, and The Independence Center for its Hospital to Home Pilot Program.

“We commend all of these organizations for their innovative approaches to ensuring the health and well-being of older adults and people with disabilities,” said Terry Fulmer, PhD, RN, FAAN, President of The John A. Hartford Foundation. “Age-friendly ecosystems require strong community-based organizations working in partnership with health systems and public health. These award-winning programs have the potential to transform care across systems and communities by serving as models for other programs around the country.”

About The John A. Hartford Foundation Business Innovation Award Selection Process

Each year, candidates are nominated through an open application process. A review committee of health care representatives, foundation staff and community-based organizations evaluates the applications based on criteria, which include how well the nominee demonstrates a successful partnership with a health care entity; the impact of the partnership on older adults and people with disabilities; and the degree to which the nominee demonstrates risk in pursuing new approaches to doing business and aligning leadership and staff in new directions.

About The John A. Hartford Foundation

The John A. Hartford Foundation, based in New York City, is a private, nonpartisan, national philanthropy dedicated to improving the care of older adults. The leader in the field of aging and health, the Foundation has three priority areas: creating age-friendly health systems, supporting family caregivers, and improving serious illness and end-of-life care. For more information, visit johnahartford.org and follow @johnahartford.

About n4a

The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging is a 501(c)(3) membership association representing America’s national network of 622 Area Agencies on Aging and providing a voice in the nation’s capital for the Title VI Native American aging programs. The mission of n4a is to build the capacity of its members so they can better help older adults and people with disabilities live with dignity and choices in their homes and communities for as long as possible. For more information, visit n4a.org and follow @n4aACTION.

About the Aging and Disability Business Institute

The mission of the Aging and Disability Business Institute is to build and strengthen partnerships between aging and disability community-based organizations and the health care system. The Business Institute receives funding from The John A. Hartford Foundation, The SCAN Foundation and the Administration for Community Living and is led by n4a.

National Association of Area Agencies on Aging

www.n4a.org 202.872.0888

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