Unity Hospice and Palliative Care has expanded across three counties in southern Wisconsin, an area with vast opportunities for growth amid rising demand.

The organization now provides hospice and palliative care services in the counties of Kenosha, Milwaukee and Racine, Wisconsin.

The hospice’s strategic approach involves careful consideration around identifying and addressing the greatest areas of unmet patient needs, according to Yonah Klein, chief growth officer at Unity Hospice and Palliative Care.

“Geographically this allows us to expand our reach and to bring the ‘premier’ hospice and palliative care that Unity is so well known for in all markets we serve,” Klein told Hospice News in an email. “Unity’s focus is always on enhancing access to compassionate care. We are continually exploring opportunities to expand into new regions where there is a need for quality hospice and palliative care services. We’re always open to new expansion opportunities that we see fit.”

With the expansion, Unity Hospice and Palliative Care’s geographic service region spans a total of 58 counties in Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin and Texas.

Founded in 1992, the hospice and palliative care provider has since served roughly 30,000 patients and their families.

Unity Hospice and Palliative Care has been on a steady growth trajectory for the past few years. The hospice entered a five-year general inpatient (GIP) service agreement with the University of Texas Medical Branch in January 2024. The agreement expanded the hospice’s services across the health system’s four hospitals in 10 cities.

Later that same year, Unity Hospice and Palliative Care established a hospice and palliative care referral agreement with Illinois-based Northwestern Medicine’s Post-Acute Network (PAN). The network is affiliated with Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

Palliative care is an important component of Unity Hospice and Palliative Care’s strategic growth plans, according to Klein. Demographic trends driven by a swelling aging population with chronic conditions will continue to fuel demand for palliative care in coming years. This trend is pushing more health systems to recognize the value proposition of palliative care delivery and partner with these providers, he stated.

“The palliative care landscape is poised for significant growth in the coming years,” Klein told Hospice News. “More health care systems are recognizing the value of palliative care in improving patient quality of life and reducing hospital readmissions.”

A key strategic lever to pull for providers is demonstrating the ability to continuously improve quality of care through staff training, patient and family feedback and embracing new, evidence-based practices, Klein said.

Quality in the palliative care world centers around not just symptom relief, but also greater alignment of goal-concordant care delivery. Cost-effectiveness has also increasingly come under consideration as a significant indicator of a high-quality palliative care provider, he indicated.