AccentCare De Novo to Build D.C. Hospice Presence, Fill Access for Gaps Underserved

AccentCare has received a certificate of need to provide home-based hospice services in the greater District of Columbia. The company anticipates that the expansion will help address a service gap among underserved populations and increase health equity in the region. 

AccentCare will plant roots with an office in Washington, D.C. ‘s Ward 7, already providing services across nine counties in Maryland. The new location will emphasize culturally inclusive hospice care and will also provide music therapy and a We Honor Veterans program.

“We are honored to bring our home-based hospice services to D.C. residents in early 2022 and in doing so, will be better able to address unmet hospice needs in specific populations, especially among Black and LGBTQ+ residents and those experiencing homelessness,” said Rafael Fantauzzi, vice president and chief diversity equity and inclusion officer at AccentCare. “We are grateful for the State Health Planning and Development Agency and the [certificate of need (CON)] process to ensure qualified hospice programs and services are available to patients and families throughout the District, particularly in underserved communities.”

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Dallas-headquartered AccentCare delivers hospice to upwards of 40,000 patients annually through more than 80 hospice locations and 27 in-patient care centers. The company’s continuum of services includes care management, home health, palliative, rehabilitation, skilled nursing, telehealth, non-medical and personal care services and operates from more than 260 locations across 31 states and the District of Columbia.

The company recently unified its seven brands under the AccentCare name, including Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care, with which they merged in Dec. 2020. AccentCare employs roughly 30,000 staff who collectively serve more than 210,000 patients and their families nationwide.

The company was among those that joined an $11.1 million effort in August to increase vaccination confidence and rates in underserved communities through a partnership with the National Association for Home Care & Hospice and the National Minority Health Association.

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Hospice utilization in the District of Columbia ranks low in comparison to many states across the country, reaching 32% among Medicare decedents in 2018, according to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO). The national average that year was 50.3%.  

Race and socioeconomics represent barriers to accessing hospice and palliative care in the D.C. region and across the country, with providers working to bridge these divides. During 2018, African American, Asian and Hispanic patients comprised less than 20% of Medicare hospice patients, while the remaining 80% of beneficiaries were Caucasians, according to NHPCO.

Altonia Garrett will lead AccentCare’s new office as executive director. Previously, Garrett was the vice president of public affairs and strategic partnership at Capital Caring Health, where she spearheaded that organization’s Center of Equity, Inclusion and Diversity. Garrett also serves on the board of directors for the Hospice & Palliative Care Network of Maryland and chairs its Diversity Committee.

“Our goal is to enhance the remaining time each of our patients has by ensuring neither pain nor symptoms of decline diminish their quality of life,” said Garrett. “To do this, we are looking forward to bringing our services to the District and being an employer of choice for the community.”

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