A handful of hospices have recently fueled growth through new inpatient facilities and expanding their geographic footprints.

HIA Hospice Opens Inpatient Facility

The recent launch of HIA Hospice’s general inpatient hospice facility in North Dakota marks the beginning of a new chapter for the organization.

A grand opening ceremony was held on Tuesday for Heather’s House, which recently moved its its offices to the inpatient center’s new location in Fargo, North Dakota. The facility was the first of its kind in the state to serve both adult and pediatric patients, and has two rooms that can be converted to age-appropriate care needs.

Formerly Hospice of the Red River Valley, HIA Hospice last month rebranded to reflect the organization’s evolution of services and its widening geographic footprint, said Executive Director Tracee Capron. The facility is part of the newest chapter of its strategic direction.

“With Heather’s House, we’re trying to address the suffering that gets sort of normalized in rural communities that lack resources,” Capron previously told Hospice News. “We want to be that beacon for families, including parents with sick children.”

Interdisciplinary staff at Heather’s House provide general inpatient hospice care to patients with higher levels of needs. Respite, bereavement and veteran services are also available at the 55,000 square-foot facility.

The center features 18 private patient rooms, a chapel, a theater room, children’s play areas, family gathering spaces, as well as outdoor walking paths and gardens. The facility also has six patient rooms with specialized equipment for dementia patients.

Under the HIA Health umbrella is the organization’s hospice program, a thrift store and its second nonprofit brand, House Calls, which launched in 2019 and provides home-based hospice and palliative care. Established in 1981, the nonprofit provides care across 60 counties in North Dakota and Minnesota, serving mostly rural communities. 

Agrace Expands Home-Based Services in Wisconsin

Agrace has opened a new office in La Crosse, Wisconsin in an effort to expand its reach of home-based services across the state’s western region.

Unveiling a new location in the area will expand end-of-life care options for patients in both community- and facility-based settings, according to Agrace President and CEO Lynne Sexten.

Through the office, staff will provide home-based hospice care to patients in long-term care facilities or anywhere they call home.

“With the addition of our newest office in La Crosse, Agrace continues to rapidly expand our geographic footprint to meet the growing needs of the aging population in smaller cities, and isolated, rural or underserved areas of the upper Midwest,” Sexten said in a statement shared with Hospice News.

The new office is part of Agrace’s strategic plans to grow its existing geographic service reach, which spans 20 counties in southern Wisconsin. Founded in 1978, the nonprofit hospice, palliative and supportive care.

Cadre Hospice Enters Indiana Market

Cadre Hospice recently launched services in Indiana, marking its entry into the state.

The hospice provider’s other locations in Illinois, Ohio and Texas span across major metropolitan areas of Chicago, Cleveland and Dallas. Through the expansion, Cadre Hospice now provides services to communities in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The expansion marks an important step in Cadre Hospice’s strategic growth and mission, according to Executive Director Samantha Richards.

“[We] honored to lead the Indiana team, driven by heart, compassion and purpose,” Richards said in a social media announcement. “We are committed to delivering world-class care to every life we touch. We know we only get one chance to make a person’s final days meaningful and memorable for their loved ones — and we don’t take that lightly. Every life is a sacred opportunity, and it is our greatest honor to show just how much of a difference compassionate care can make.”

Founded in 2024, Cadre Hospice is a portfolio company of the private equity firm Rubicon Founders. The company offers hospice and palliative care and has plans to expand in Minneapolis and in Kansas City, Kansas, before the end of the year, CEO Sonnie Linebarger previously told Hospice News.

VITAS Launches New Office in Florida

VITAS Healthcare has unfurled a new office in north central Florida, which serves as a hub for interdisciplinary staff coordinating hospice care.

The Chemed Corp. (NYSE: CHE) subsidiary opened the office in Marion County, Florida in response to rising demand. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held in June.

A main goal of the office is to help strengthen referral partnerships with local hospitals, physicians and family caregivers, according to Jessica-Lynn Carvajal, public relations specialist at VITAS.

“This expansion reflects our ongoing commitment to meeting the growing need for high-quality hospice and palliative care across Florida,” Carvajal told local news.

VITAS Healthcare is among the largest hospice providers nationwide and also offers palliative care services. The company launched in 1978 and employs an interdisciplinary care team of roughly 12,000 professionals across 15 states and in the District of Columbia.

Avow Hospice’s Growing Presence

Avow Hospice is sprawling its geographic footprint into three new counties in southwest Florida after receiving the greenlight from state regulators.

The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) recently approved the hospice’s certificate of need (CON) application to launch services in Lee, Glades and Hendry counties in the state.

Strategic plans on the near horizon include growing patient reach beyond the new areas amid a swelling aging population in the Sunshine State, said Avow Hospice President and CEO Jaysen Roa.

“As Southwest Florida has grown, Avow’s reach and impact have expanded to meet the needs of an evolving community,” Roa told local news. “Now, we look forward to extending that reach even further — to ensure individuals and families in neighboring counties have access to the same level of hospice care that has defined Avow’s legacy.”

Established in 1983, the nonprofit provides adult and pediatric hospice, palliative care, bereavement and home health. Avow Hospice is also a participating provider in the Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) payment model and has a dementia program for patients and their family caregivers.