Minnesota-headquartered St. Croix Hospice has opened a new office in its home state to support clinical capacity during a time of expansion.

Located in Eagan, Minnesota, the office will serve as a hub for the company’s interdisciplinary hospice team in the area. Staff provide round-the-clock community-based services to 16 surrounding counties. The office marks St. Croix’s 17th location in the state.

The location will allow for more timely admissions and quicker responses to patient and caregiver concerns, Betsy Beary said, manager of clinical services at St. Croix Hospice’s new location.

“No matter how large St. Croix Hospice grows, the vision is to keep the care feeling like it is coming from a small town office,” Beary told local news. “Now there is a care team that is expected, and it’s not just one person who’s going to be coming in and out. You have a nurse, you have a chaplain, you have a social worker, you have a hospice aide. You really only get one chance with each of these patients, and it’s really important.”

Launched in 2008, St. Croix Hospice has widened its geographic footprint across 10 Midwestern states. The hospice provider is a portfolio company of the private equity firm H.I.G. Capital.

In addition to hospice, St. Croix offers advance care planning support, bereavement services and a North Star program for dementia symptom management. The hospice also provides caregiver support through its Voyage Vigil Program.

The new office will aid in operational efficiency by providing a space for clinical teams to gather supplies and complete patient documentation, as well as areas for interdisciplinary team meetings. Its launch was in part driven by rising demand for hospice in the area, including more referrals from hospitals, assisted living and skilled nursing facilities and community members.

Demographic trends are pushing up hospice demand in Minnesota. Seniors 65 and older represent 17.8% of the state’s overall population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Roughly one-in-five residents will fall into this age cohort by 2030, with seniors representing more than a quarter of the population by 2040, reported the Minnesota Department of Human Services.

Hospice utilization rates in the North Star state reached 56% in 2023, according to research from the National Alliance for Care at Home and KNG Health Consulting LLC. This was above national hospice utilization rates that reached 52% that year, the research found, which was recently published by the Research Institute for Home Care.