The Hospice of Central New York and Hospice of the Finger Lakes have merged and will operate under the Hospice of Central New York brand, though Hospice of the Finger Lakes will continue to work under that name in Cayuga County.
Hospice of Central New York expects to see a 40 percent increase in their patient census in Cayuga County, post merger.
“The goal of this merger is to ensure that hospice services in our service area will continue to be provided with the exceptional care that our communities have come to expect,” said Theresa K. Kline, executive director of Hospice of the Finger Lakes. “The consolidation of administrative, clinical support, and other functions will result in cost savings and a stronger organization able to maintain a high level of service for families in our community.”
The merger comes after years of collaboration between the two non-profit organizations. Prior to the merger they had worked together to develop a bi-monthly newsletter called “Pathways.” The newsletter, distributed to patients’ families, focuses on coping with grief. Hospice of Finger Lakes also frequently referred children to Hospice of Central New York’s Camp Healing Hearts, a day camp designed to help elementary school-aged children deal with bereavement. They also had collaborated to help improve local hospital discharge planning to ensure smooth patient transitions from hospital to hospice.
In addition to technology updates and integration of their electronic medical records systems, the two providers have spent months guiding staff through the merger, including orientation and training. No staff reductions resulted from the merger. The merging organizations have also stayed in close communication with referring organizations, including area hospitals, nursing homes, and physician practices, during the transition.
“Hospice of the Finger Lakes has an excellent reputation and we felt our longstanding relationship gave both organizations the confidence that this merger will strengthen out shared mission to bring high-quality, compassionate care to people with life-limiting illness and support to their loved ones,” said Cynthia Chandler, CEO of Hospice of Central New York.
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