Florida-based VITAS Healthcare has expanded the reach of its hospice services into a new region of its home state amid rising demand.

The Chemed Corp. (NYSE: CHE) subsidiary on May 15 began accepting hospice referrals in communities throughout Marion County, Florida. The expansion widens VITAS’ reach to patients in 59 of the state’s 67 counties.

The move is aimed at increasing access to patients and family caregivers who currently lack sufficient resources in the state’s north central region, according to VITAS Healthcare Chairman and CEO Nick Westfall.

“Our expansion into Marion County, Florida, further supports our commitment to meet the needs of underserved communities where access to high-acuity hospice care is limited,” Westfall told Hospice News in an email. “We continue to grow because we have proven time and time again that we can manage patients with complex care needs and support families through challenging circumstances, including bereavement. This expansion strengthens our historically strong presence in Florida and reinforces our leadership stance as a mission-focused, high-quality hospice provider, deeply connected with every community we serve.”

VITAS recently received a certificate of need (CON) approval to enter Marion County, Florida, which is home to a large retirement home community provider.

Demographic tailwinds are driving hospice demand in the Sunshine State. Seniors 65 and older will represent roughly 30% of Florida’s overall population by 2045, reported the state’s Department of Elder Affairs. This age cohort represents nearly one-quarter (21.7%) of its current population, the U.S. Census Bureau reported.

Florida’s swelling aging population is outpacing growth of seniors across 20 other states combined, according to the Elder Affairs report.

Florida ranked second highest nationwide in hospice utilization, reaching a rate of 55.97% in 2022, reported the National Alliance for Care at Home. Utah held the highest rate at 59.61% that year, the report found.

Growing demand for hospice has providers in Florida facing difficult clinical capacity challenges, according to Jennifer Nygaard, senior vice president of operations for VITAS in north Florida. Expanding into a new service region will hopefully help provide more resources to patients and their families with increasingly complex care needs, Nygaard stated.

“In Marion County, there is a clear need for high-acuity hospice care that VITAS is uniquely equipped to

provide,” Nygaard said in a statement shared with Hospice News. “Our teams are experienced in managing complex medical needs … and we’re equally committed to supporting families through challenging dynamics. We’re proud to bring our compassionate, can-do approach to this community and help fill a critical gap in care.”

The company is in the process of hiring clinical and non-clinical employees to support its recent expansion. VITAS also offers professional development and clinical education.

Launched in 1978, Miami-headquartered VITAS operates 56 hospice programs across 15 states and in the District of Columbia. The hospice provider has provided care to more than 1.5 million patients since its inception.

The company’s 12,001 employees provide care in community-based settings, as well as in hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living and residential communities, skilled nursing facilities and across its 30 inpatient hospice units. In addition to hospice, VITAS’ other services include a veterans program, bereavement support, music and pet therapy, as well as palliative care and specialized sepsis care.

VITAS’ average daily census reached 22,336 in the first quarter of 2025. The company has seen sequential increases in ADC for several quarters running, reaching “all-time highs,” this year, Westfall previously reported.

VITAS is the second-largest hospice provider nationwide by Medicare claims, according to Hospice News’ Top 50 provider report.

De novos have predominantly fueled the company’s organic growth, with acquisitions making up a smaller proportion of its strategic plans in recent years. The company began to ramp up acquisition activity with its $85 million acquisition of Covenant Health and Community Services in April 2024. The transaction included Covenant’s hospice assets and marked VITAS’ entry into the assisted living space.