Far East meets East Falls as South Korean nurses visit local hospice.
Last month, East Falls got a visit from the Far East when three nurses from South Korea stopped by VNA Philadelphia on Henry Avenue.
The nurses, from the Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, took a break from a nursing conference in New York to spend a couple days learning about home healthcare from us. (One of the nurses has a connection to one of our RNs, who is South Korean-born.)
We arranged for them to go out on patient visits with clinicians, meet with our Patient Care Managers and social workers, and to visit our Intake, Quality, and Scheduling Departments. They also shadowed our Palliative Care Team at Temple University Hospital. They got a whirlwind, crash-course in VNA Philadelphia and they loved it!
South Korea has universal healthcare and people just stay in the hospital until they are completely well, so there is no need for home healthcare.
For example, our Korean-born nurse, Yumi, told us her story of going back to Korea to have her wisdom teeth removed and she spent ten days in the hospital…and her bill was only $700! (U.S. equivalent). One of the things that astonished our visitors was seeing that a patient with a catheter was receiving nursing care at home. They really couldn’t believe the depth of our wound care and physical therapy at home either.
The model of lengthy hospital stays is starting to change, however, and the Bundang Hospital wants to be on the cutting edge of that change and be prepared to start to offer a home healthcare program. We’re delighted they turned to us for assistance.
While the delegation was here, we made sure to treat them to all of the Philly favorites we could! Hoagies, pizza, and soft pretzels included!
Lend a Hand!
Share a few hours at a significant time in someone’s life and find your life enriched by the experience. Volunteering at VNA Hospice of Philadelphia takes as little as 1-2 hours once per week but makes such a difference to the patients and their families. Opportunities include office support, Inpatient Unit visits, home visits, and special events planning. Call 215-581-2360 with questions or to start the application process. Comprehensive training provided.
VNA Philadelphia
Falls Center Suite 500
3300 Henry Avenue (MAP LINK)
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