Hospice leaders are facing a difficult challenge: how to provide reliable after-hours support without burning out their teams. With staffing shortages, rising expectations, and 24/7 patient needs, many organizations rely on the same clinical leaders during the day and overnight. This lack of boundaries leads to turnover, frustration, and risk to quality of care.
This webinar explores a more sustainable approach. Hosted by Qualis, the session brings together Lindsey Goff, BSN, RN, CHPN, AVP and Triage Administrator from NorthStar Care Community, and Hall Thorp, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Qualis, for a practical discussion on how hospice triage can work differently.
A few key takeaways from the webinar:
✔ Hospice Burnout and the Need for Boundaries time stamp: 1:24
Hear how connectivity wears down hospice teams and how leadership often carries the burden beyond regular hours.
✔ What Makes NorthStar's Triage Model Different time stamp: 3:22
NorthStar built its triage service from the ground up, based on direct hospice experience. Their nurses have handled bedside care and understand patient and family needs firsthand.
✔ Reducing Staff Turnover and Improving Morale time stamp: 11:30
Hospices using this model report improved staff satisfaction, with fewer resignations and less strain on leadership.
✔ Real-Time Call Data and Reporting time stamp: 28:33
NorthStar provides detailed data about call types, allowing hospices to track trends and reduce avoidable call volume after hours.
✔ Where to Start if You're Not Ready to Outsource time stamp: 30:48
Lindsey recommends beginning with an internal review of after-hours call types to identify unnecessary volume and improve response planning.
Qualis works with hospices across the country to take the pressure off clinical teams by managing complex needs that can lead to burnout like DME management. If you want your staff to have true support with their workload, let's talk. Request a free DME evaluation today!
WEBINAR TRANSCRIPT
Hi everyone and thank you for joining us today.
I'm thrilled to welcome you to today's conversation.
When they're off, they're off. Rethinking after-hours support in hospice. We know that after-hours coverage is one of the most challenging and emotionally charged parts of running a hospice. Teams are stretched thin. Expectations are high and burnout happens all too frequently.
But what if there’s a different way to approach triage—one that gives real time off without compromising patient care? That’s what we’re going to talk about today.
We’ll be diving into how one organization has reimagined their after-hours model.
Hey. Welcome. I apologize—I sound like a frog. I've got a bad cold, but being with you all is a priority. Thanks for joining us.
While you're watching this webinar, you probably have a phone ringing, texts coming in, emails, maybe a Teams message flashing on the screen. We all have a lot of things coming at us from different directions.
The idea of boundaries and work-life balance sounds great. But in reality, especially in hospice, for senior leaders in particular, it's tough to achieve.
Still, we need to protect our staff and ourselves. Rest isn’t just recovery from work, it’s preparation for the work ahead.
Today is about that balance. One part of that is how to support your team after hours—nights, weekends, holidays—so that when they're off, they're truly off.
For example, at our company, we manage DME. When there’s a late pickup or delivery, we have a team ready to take that on.
Another key piece is after-hours triage. We’ve invited a triage administrator to share how their model differs from a typical call center.
Thank you. Boundaries in hospice are often wishful thinking because care doesn't stop at 5:00 p.m. Symptoms don’t stop. People don’t stop needing help.
We want to make sure that when a hospice team hands off care at the end of their shift, they can trust that quality continues. That peace of mind goes a long way.
There’s a nursing shortage, and we’re asking our nurses to wear a lot of hats. That leads to burnout and turnover. And that puts quality of care at risk.
So we’ve worked hard to maintain that quality after hours. We were hospice first, and triage was something we created to meet a need for our own patients. That’s what makes us different.
Many of our triage nurses came from the field. They’ve done the bedside work. They’ve had the hard conversations. That experience is priceless when you’re on the phone with no eyes on the patient.
Also, our growth has been organic. We didn’t build this with a sales team. Word of mouth brought us new relationships.
We’re focused on helping our partners rebuild boundaries so their staff can truly disconnect.
Many hospices use the same people day and night. Managers are answering calls while trying to cook dinner or attend a family event. That gets old fast.
What we provide is 24-hour frontline leadership with hospice experience. If there’s a complaint or an urgent need, our leadership can step in immediately.
We’re not trying to reach someone who’s juggling kids at home or driving. We’re at a desk in a professional setting, ready to act.
This level of response helps us feel less like a vendor and more like part of the team. Clinical staff can rest knowing their patients are still being cared for with the same standards.
That kind of support improves retention. Our partners have seen turnover decrease.
We also work closely with each hospice to create personalized processes. Before we ever take a call, we’ve built workflows together. Everyone knows what we’ll do in specific situations.
That builds trust and strengthens the relationship. Over time, we’re able to help with more than just urgent care—we support quality improvement efforts too.
Yes, people talk about taking calls at soccer games or the dinner table like it’s a badge of honor. But over time, it builds resentment. You’ll see it at family events—the exhaustion, the frustration.
When we hear from hospices using this model, they say their people are finally able to be fully off when they’re off. That’s the feedback we’re most proud of.
Creating great boundaries takes collaboration and a shared commitment to patient care. This model gives staff permission to let go without letting anything fall through the cracks.
If anyone wants to reach out, there are a few ways to do that. We can share contact info, websites, or coordinate through our teams.
We scheduled this session to be concise because the topic is about giving time back. We know how valuable that is.
We also had a few audience questions come in.
Q: How does the triage model ensure continuity of care without the hospice’s on-call nurse?
We work directly in the EMR, so our nurses can access everything they need—medications, care plans, history. If a visit is needed, we’ve already built a protocol with the partner for dispatching.
Q: What are the biggest cultural or operational barriers when shifting triage externally?
Geography is often the hardest part—just learning the local details. Culturally, it just takes time. Our teams tend to blend well, and many become close with field staff. It’s about learning how each group works.
Q: Can you give an example of how EMR access improves outcomes or staff satisfaction?
It eases staff stress. Some EMRs are tough to navigate, but we only need to access specific areas. We give our team a couple of weeks to learn each system, and that’s usually more than enough.
Q: What does the transition process look like?
If licensing is already in place, we can launch in about nine weeks. The longest part is creating the process flows with the hospice. We work directly with clinical leadership to understand every scenario. Then we do training, IT setup, and nurse competencies before going live.
Q: How do you handle emotionally intense calls?
We use protocols—not scripts, but guidelines to make sure nothing is missed. Nurses are also supported by leadership, and we offer simulation labs to practice tough situations before they happen.
Q: What are early warning signs that a triage system is failing?
Frequent complaints from families. If patients have to wait for a callback, that’s a red flag. Long hold times are another. And if nurses lack hospice-specific experience, families can tell.
Q: Do you track call types and provide that information?
Yes. We offer a live dashboard that breaks down call categories. That lets our partners see what kinds of calls they’re getting, including avoidable ones like med refills or scheduling. Many use this data to adjust their daytime processes.
Q: If a hospice isn’t ready to bring in a triage service, what’s one thing they can do to improve after-hours care?
Start by reviewing the types of calls you’re getting. If a large portion is avoidable, that’s your first opportunity to improve support without adding staff.
Thank you for spending time with us today. We hope this gave you a new way to think about after-hours care and how to better support your team.