Minnesota-based Moments Hospice is continuing its multi-state expansion with the establishment of a de novo location in Des Plaines, Ill., a suburb in the Chicago metropolitan area. The new office marks Moment’s first foothold in Illinois.
Moments is growing rapidly throughout the Midwest, having opened eight de novos during 2020. The family-owned company has plans to open more locations during 2021, including moving into new markets. The company entered South Dakota earlier this month with a new office in Sioux Falls. The Illinois location expands its footprint to 15 locations in six states.
“We’re excited to serve the Greater Chicagoland area! Being a resident of Northern Illinois for over nine years, I’m proud that we’re now able to serve these amazing communities in Chicagoland,” said Moments Vice President Kevin Stock. “Having worked in the past in the hospice industry in Chicagoland, I know that our care model is unique to any hospice program in the area.”
Despite headwinds stemming from COVID-19, the company saw an opportunity to grow last year. They began making inquiries with state governments to see if they had been receiving fewer applications for new licenses during the pandemic, and then began to move in to fill gaps. The companies service region now encompasses most Minnesota counties and nearly the entire state of Wisconsin, with additional locations in South Dakota, Iowa and now Illinois.
The company thrives in comparatively small cities and rural areas as it seeks to reach communities that are underserved by hospice. Moments leverages a high-touch care model that offers a higher number of visits than industry averages, the company’s co-founder Shlomo Miller told Hospice News.
Moments is financing the new locations following significant growth in their patient census last year, Stock indicated. This was largely driven by the pandemic as they experienced an influx of COVID-positive patients. The company’s expansion plans focus primarily on de novos rather than acquisitions, with an emphasis on underserved markets.
Hospice utilization in the Illinois market reached 50.3% among Medicare decedents during 2018, which is in line with the national average, according to the National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization. Utah led the nation with 60.5%.
“We’re looking at bringing that model to other states in the Midwest, but we will go other places in the United States, as long as it makes sense,” Stock said. “If there’s a need for hospice, and we think there’s an opportunity, we’re gonna go. After we get one office in a state, we are going to keep adding more.”
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