Plano, Texas-based Heart to Heart Hospice will soon add its first location in Oklahoma.

The de novo will open this fall, located in Durant, Oklahoma, and serve hospice patients and their families across 11 surrounding counties.

The new location will allow for expanded access to end-of-life care and caregiver support, according to Robert Watson, who will serve as its new executive director.

“When medicine cannot provide a cure, hospice redefines hope in terms of a patient’s quality of life,” Watson said in a statement. “We care for the whole person through a team-oriented approach, meeting each patient’s unique needs. We also support their caregivers with guidance and encouragement, to help make the time together as peaceful as possible.”

Demographics are driving demand for hospice in Oklahoma. Seniors 65 and older represent 17.7% of the state’s overall population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Hospice utilization rates in Oklahoma reached 47.77% among Medicare decedents in 2022, reported the National Alliance for Care at Home. National averages hovered around 49.1% that year.

Heart to Heart provides hospice, palliative care and grief support. Established in 2003, the hospice provider offers services across 63 locations in Indiana, Michigan, Oklahoma and Texas. The hospice also provides disease-focused programs dubbed as Care Bridge Cancer Care and Care Bridge Cardiac Care.

De novos have been a key to Heart to Heart Hospice’s strategic growth plans. The organization opened a new 14-patient bed facility this fall in San Antonio, Texas, building its presence in the state. Heart to Heart launched a de novo in the Lone Star State in 2021, expanding its presence across eight counties near Temple, Texas.

“Helping our patients remain in the place they call home and keeping them comfortable is what the Heart to Heart care team is trained to do,” said Tracy Sudduth, chief clinical officer of Heart to Heart Hospice. “We develop a personalized care plan that will honor their wishes and values and truly make a difference for them and their families.”