Hospice Savannah has been selected by the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) as the first organization in Georgia to establish a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). PACE is a fully integrated healthcare model that provides comprehensive medical, behavioral, social, and long-term care services to older adults who meet nursing home-level of care eligibility, enabling them to safely remain living in their homes and communities.

“This is a historic moment reflecting years of vision, collaboration, and commitment to better serve the most vulnerable in our community with dignity and compassion through our PACE Georgia program,” said Dr. Kathleen Benton, President and CEO of Georgia Care Innovators, Hospice Savannah, and its affiliates. “Launching PACE Georgia in our new Kole Center for PACE Georgia marks a major step forward in the expansion of high-quality, community-based care that helps older adults live safely and independently while remaining connected to the community.”

According to Benton, PACE ensures seniors have access to health care and support services, as well as medications, enabling them to live at home. “We are grateful to Georgia DCH for selecting Hospice Savannah as Georgia’s first PACE provider so that we can bring these life- enhancing services to seniors who might otherwise have to live in a nursing home.”

PACE Georgia will provide enrolled participants with all Medicare and Medicaid covered services necessary to improve, maintain, and support their health and independence. Services will be delivered both at the PACE Center and in participants’ homes and are coordinated and authorized by an interdisciplinary team (IDT). The IDT includes a primary care provider, registered nurse, physical and occupational therapists, registered dietitian, social worker, and other healthcare professionals who work collaboratively to develop and manage each participant’s individualized plan of care.

PACE services will be coordinated and provided at the Kole Center for PACE Georgia, the hub of clinical care and daily engagement. The newly renovated, 16,000-square-foot facility, located on Eisenhower Drive, features a comprehensive primary care clinic; a fully equipped physical and occupational therapy gym; dementia-friendly quiet spaces; dietitian-supervised meals; and adult day health and activity rooms for social engagement. Designed to serve approximately 100–125 participants daily, the Kole Center for PACE Georgia will bring medical care, therapy, and supportive services together under one roof. PACE Georgia will also provide transportation to and from the Kole Center for PACE Georgia on scheduled attendance days and to community-based specialty medical appointments, ensuring seamless, convenient access to care.

According to Kate Doran, Foundation Director, Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock were integral in bringing Republicans and Democrats together to secure the federal funding needed for reliable transportation for the PACE program. “The funding will help us purchase three minivans and one mid-sized transit bus so that seniors can get to medical appointments to get the care they need,” said Doran. Chief Development Officer Jamey Espina said, “We are deeply grateful to Don Kole, after whom the PACE Center is named, to Southern Motors for sponsoring our first van, and to all our donors whose support has made it possible to renovate and reimagine our space to meet the unique needs of the PACE program and its participants. This milestone belongs to them as much as to us.”

There are over 200 PACE programs operating nationwide. PACE Georgia hopes to begin enrollment later this year starting in November.

For more information, please visit pacegeorgia.org, the National PACE Association (npaonline.org), or call 912-612-7223.