Carolina Caring receives $975K Duke Endowment grant

Carolina Caring, through the work of Carolina Caring Foundation, has received a $975,000 grant from The Duke Endowment to fund a palliative care pilot program developed in partnership with CaroNova, a nonprofit health transformation catalyst serving North and South Carolina. Combining strategy and solutions to accelerate the future of an affordable, equitable, and effective system of health for all Carolinians, CaroNova works with partners across the Carolinas to drive reform.

The Endowment grant is one of the highest grant amounts Carolina Caring has received in organizational history.

Through the pilot program, Carolina Caring and CaroNova aim to create a sustainable model of comprehensive palliative care for serious illness. Palliative medicine is a specialized program of care which supports patients facing serious illness and can be integrated with or without curative treatments. Unlike hospice care, which is typically reserved for individuals with a prognosis of six months or less, palliative medicine can be initiated at any stage of a person’s illness.

The generous funds provided by the Endowment grant will support the pilot’s efforts to enhance palliative care services by creating a sustainable model that ensures smooth coordination across all stages of care. It will provide proactive support for patients and families through caregiver education, advance care planning, estate and legal planning, and spiritual support offered by chaplains, social workers, and clinical teams focused on whole person health.

The program will also work to expand access for underserved populations by promoting health equity, offering social determinant of health screenings with resources, mental health support, and care coordination through virtual services and extended care teams.

“Carolina Caring has a long-standing commitment to providing compassionate care to individuals who are facing serious illness,” says Dana Killian, president & CEO, Carolina Caring. “Our collaboration with CaroNova will enable us to enhance our approach to patient care and leverage that with their expertise in community-based interventions.”

“With The Duke Endowment’s support, this pilot can create a long term and scalable model that addresses the unique needs of our patients and their families, ultimately improving their quality of life,” Killian adds.

For more information on Carolina Caring’s mission, vision, and available services, or how you can support Carolina Caring’s hospice and palliative care in your community, call 828-466-0466 or visit carolinacaring.org.