Hi all - I think this is a common problem with many of the EMR systems - not a lot of time is spent building the bereavement section! For us, it was taking way too much time working with the EPIC consultants to try to get the formatting of the letters and the labels correct, so I halted the process and said we would continue doing it ourselves with the spreadsheet and mail merges.
I have kept a spreadsheet of the bereaved and have done mail merges long before EMR systems and find they still are the best way to go. We have better control over the accuracy of demographic info, the timing of the mailings and more flexibility when changes are needed to the letters.
Our process is much the same as the others - we do a mail merge to generate letters and labels and then utilize volunteers to do the stuffing of envelopes and applying of labels.
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Nancy Arnold CDP
Bereavement Manager
Supportive Care Services
Visiting Nurse Association
Southcoast Health | 200 Mill Road | Fairhaven, MA. 02719
508-973-3227 / cell: 774-319-3007
ArnoldN@southcoast.org------------------------------
Original Message:
Sent: 07-08-2021 11:58
From: Barbara Ingram
Subject: HCHB Question
We also use word and Mail merge for our letters and bereavement mailings with volunteers stuffing envelopes and putting mailing labels on .
What Willis experienced is why I don't use the mailing prorams.
Barbara Ingram, D.Min., M.Div., BCC, LMFT
Bereavement Coordinator and Counselor
Wellstar Community Hospice
470.245.9959
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Original Message:
Sent: 7/7/2021 10:41:00 AM
From: Willis Partington
Subject: RE: HCHB Question
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Original Message:
Sent: 7/6/2021 11:57:00 AM
From: Gretchen Gibbs
Subject: HCHB Question
We recently started to use HCHB to print off a cover letter for our bereavement mailings and are not very happy for the layout/formatting. If anyone uses this program and has suggestions for me to try, would you please contact me?
Thank you!
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Gretchen Seidler Gibbs, Bereavement Coordinator
VNA of NWI
Valparaiso, IN 46383
219-531-8112
ggibbs@vnanwi.org
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