St. Croix Opens Nebraska De Novo

St. Croix Hospice has launched a de novo location in Norfolk, Nebraska, extending the company’s footprint into the northeastern region of that state. St. Croix is a portfolio company of the private equity firm H.I.G. Capital.

St. Croix has been on a solid growth trajectory during 2020 and into this year. The company expanded last year with two de novos in Iowa and one in Wisconsin. In March 2020, St. Croix acquired Serenity Care Hospice in Missouri for an undisclosed amount.

“We are honored to serve even more Nebraska patients and families in need of hospice care,” said Clayton Hoberman, M.D. St. Croix hospice medical director in Nebraska. “Our Norfolk clinical team lives in the communities they serve, which means they’re readily available for consultations, admissions and visits.”

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Hospice utilization in Nebraska is in line with the 2018 national average of slightly more than 50%. Utilization in the state reached 51% among Medicare decedents in 2018, according to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO). Utah leads the national in utilization at 60.4%, NHPCO reports.

Minnesota-headquartered St. Croix has a substantial Midwestern footprint that extends across six states. The company has three existing Nebraska locations in Omaha, Lincoln and Grand Rapids.

The company recently took a new approach to helping patients stave off the adverse effects of social isolation at the end of life. The company’s InTouch Family Connection Program is designed to help patients connect with family and loved ones both virtually and in person.

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In addition to virtual communication, St. Croix staff supply families with personal protective equipment (PPE) and educate them on basic infection prevention and control practices to allow for visits to their loved ones in hospice.If the patient dwells in a nursing home, assisted living or other facility, the hospice provider helps ensure they are in compliance with any applicable rules or guidelines.

“Staff have also been working hard to keep patients and loved ones connected through our InTouch Family Connection Program, which includes facilitating things like window visits, phone calls and video chats; and offering families more options for updates on their loved one,” Hoberman said.

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