Arizona-based MD Home Health has expanded its business lines to include in-clinic care, virtual care and a hospice program.

Founded in 1985, the home health company will soon also offer a physician and nurse practitioner house call service and a new remote patient monitoring program. MD Home Health bills its recent service diversification as an “omnichannel health care approach.”

“Launching our hospice services is part of a broader omnichannel strategy to pivot from a traditional home health agency to one that offers more services to address the needs of Phoenix-area residents,” David P. Tusa, CEO of MD Home Health, told Hospice News. “Several key trends ignited this strategy for us including an aging population and longer life expectancy, technology advances, and the consumerization of health care, where people and their families are wanting more conveniences and options to get their care how, when and where they need it.”

The company services the Phoenix metropolitan area, serving both urban and suburban communities, according to Tusa, which currently serves roughly 1,000 patients.

Arizona has the 12th largest population of seniors 65 and older among the states, more than 1.2 million individuals, according to the Maricopa Association of Governments. They represent more than 17% of the state’s total population.

Demographic tailwinds formed part of the impetus for launching a hospice business, Tusa indicated.

“For hospice services specifically, an aging population, along with better informed family members about the positive aspects of hospice care, along with an increased dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, are all drivers of these crucial services,” he said.

Hospice utilization among Medicare decedents reached more than 54% in 2022, according to the National Alliance for Care at Home. This exceeds the national average that year at 49.1%. Among Medicare beneficiaries, 45,760 elected the hospice benefit in 2022.

MD Home Health plans to pursue aggressive growth strategies for its new business lines.

“We are excited to be among the first to offer this omnichannel approach to healthcare in Arizona, especially for our target patient group across the Phoenix metro,” Tusa said. “We are committed to expanding all lines of the new model, including the MD Medical Group with its brick-and-mortar clinic, RPM and in-person and virtual house calls, as well as our hospice services.”