The Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation continues its dedication to fostering equitable, person-centered, and trustworthy healthcare through innovative, evidence-based interventions. A prime example of this commitment is the 2017 Hillman Innovations In Care Program, which laid the groundwork for initiatives like Rural Huntsman at Home. This pioneering program, launched in 2017, champions nursing-driven solutions designed to address the healthcare disparities faced by marginalized populations. Recently, the Foundation underscored its ongoing support by awarding a $250,000 Hillman Innovation Dissemination (HID) grant to Rural Huntsman at Home, a program that exemplifies the impact of the initial 2017 initiative.
Rural Huntsman at Home, operating under the umbrella of the Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah, directly tackles the unique challenges of cancer patients residing in rural Utah. Inspired by the hospital-at-home model, this program delivers a comprehensive suite of hospital-level clinical services directly to patients’ homes. These services include crucial cancer symptom monitoring and management. The benefits of this approach are well-documented and significant, encompassing improved quality of life for both patients and their families, reduced hospital stays post-treatment, fewer emergency room visits, and decreased overall healthcare expenditures.
Ahrin Mishan, Executive Director of The Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation, highlights the critical need for such programs, stating, “Cancer patients in rural areas, particularly those who must travel long distances for treatment, face substantial disadvantages in health outcomes, survival rates, and overall quality of life.” Mishan emphasizes that “Rural Huntsman at Home directly confronts these inequalities by bringing essential acute and supportive care to patients within their own homes in underserved, remote communities.” This initiative is a direct result of the vision set forth by the 2017 Hillman Innovations in Care program.
Building upon the successes achieved in Utah over the past three years, Rural Huntsman at Home is now poised to expand its reach across the Mountain West region, including Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. This expansion is further enabled by the HID grant, which follows an initial Hillman Innovations in Care grant awarded in 2019 that was instrumental in launching the program. The current HID funding will empower Rural Huntsman at Home to formulate a robust business plan, develop a detailed scaling playbook, and establish a value-based reimbursement model to ensure the program’s long-term sustainability and wider adoption.
Dr. Kathi Mooney, PhD, RN, FAAN, Distinguished Professor at the University of Utah College of Nursing, Co-Leader of the Cancer Control and Population Sciences Program at the Huntsman Cancer Institute, and the principal investigator for the HID grant, expressed profound gratitude for the continued partnership with The Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation. “Their support will be vital in helping to disseminate Rural Huntsman at Home,” she stated. Dr. Mooney further emphasized the Huntsman Cancer Institute’s unique position as the sole National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in the five-state region, reinforcing the commitment to making high-quality care accessible to all, regardless of geographic location, echoing the core principles of the 2017 Hillman Innovations in Care program.
About The Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation
The Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation is committed to advancing bold, nursing-driven innovations that champion equitable, person-centered, and trustworthy care. The Foundation actively works to improve health and healthcare outcomes for all, with a particular focus on populations facing inequity, discrimination, and systemic indifference. Its mission is to catalyze and nurture transformative interventions and to cultivate a thriving ecosystem of nurse innovators, grantees, and partners who are dedicated to building a healthier and more equitable future for everyone. For further information, please visit www.rahf.org.
