Maryland-based Hospice of the Chesapeake has acquired Hospice of Charles County for an undisclosed sum. The organization has also created a new brand identity, though its name will not be changing.

This transaction makes Hospice of the Chesapeake one of the largest providers in their region.

“We are grateful to the Hospice of Charles County Board of Directors and staff for their patience, dedication, and spirit of partnership that have led to this acquisition and our exciting expansion of care,” said Michael Brady, acting CEO for Hospice of the Chesapeake. “We’re also immensely proud that this new chapter which will position us among a small, elite group of national hospice providers that care for over 600 patients and families each day.”

The acquisition boosts Hospice of the Chesapeake’s average daily census to more than 620, up from 580. Hospice of Charles County will not be rebranding in the near future. 

Hospice of Charles County and Hospice of the Chesapeake have collaborated for several years on inpatient care and pediatric services. Discussions of a possible acquisition began late in 2019 when the organizations’ were considering the launch of a joint palliative/supportive care program.

Hospice of the Chesapeake will continue to operate the palliative care program and is initiating a long-term community education and outreach program.

“While we’ve expanded our reach of hospice care patients over the last several years, we’ve been simultaneously broadening the type of care that we provide through innovations in supportive care,” said Brady. “We’re approaching a 30% increase in supportive care visits from 2019 to 2020 and earlier this year introduced primary complex illness care as an additional level of support for these patients.”

Hospice utilization among Medicare decedents in Maryland reached 47.6% in 2018, compared to a national average of slightly more than 50%. Utah has the highest utilization in the country at 60.4%.

Chesapeake’s new branding, logos and messages are designed to reflect the organization’s expanding scale and breadth of services.

“Our new look is designed to evoke a feeling of comfort, calm and ever-present support for those who are living with illness and loss,” said Chief Medical Officer Eric Bush, M.D.“It’s a true representation of our evolution and recent milestones.”