Health care workers and long-term care residents are among the highest priority groups as a coronavirus vaccine rolls out across the United States. While enthusiastic about the opportunity to protect staff from COVID-19, hospices remain concerned about vaccination storage costs and increased labor and operational expenses. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued the […]
Payment models that could change under a new presidential administration have raised questions about the future business of hospice in 2021. Recent regulatory moves and the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic may be indicative of what’s to come for hospice and palliative care providers. The arrival of a new president during a national public […]
Expanded hospice and palliative care training opportunities and increased federal assistance are necessary to weather pandemic-related storms, according to Shoshana Ungerleider, M.D., an internist practicing medicine at Crossover Health in San Francisco and founder of the organization End Well. The magnitude of the coronavirus pandemic has exposed deficiencies throughout the United States health care system, […]
Encompass Health (NYSE: EHC) is considering a strategic repositioning of its business lines that could lead to a spin off of their home health and hospice services to a new, separate company. Other options under consideration include a potential merger, sale, initial public offering or other transaction. Encompass provides both facility-based and home-based patient care […]
A national study of hospice social workers indicated that the coronavirus pandemic has led to challenges of isolation, barriers to communication, and issues related to grieving among patients and the caregivers who support them. As hospice providers absorb the lessons of COVID-19, these issues have illuminated a growing need to allow in-home respite care, with […]
VITAS Healthcare, a subsidiary of Chemed Corp. (NYSE: CHE), has expanded deeper into the Miami market with a new inpatient unit. The company expects the unit to serve more than 750 patients each year. The newly-constructed MedSquare Kendall facility is designed to provide inpatient and respite care in the Miami area with a home-like environment […]
The average length that patients receive palliative care in the United States is lower than in other countries, a recent study reported. Much of the nation remains underserved despite rising demand, with limited payment opportunities restricting growth. A review of palliative services delivered worldwide indicated a wide variation in length of care received by people […]
Traditions Health, LLC, has acquired Illinois-based Harbor Light Hospice, a multi-state provider of hospice services, for an undisclosed amount. The acquisition strategically expands the Traditions Health footprint into several new key markets. Traditions is a portfolio company of family-owned investment firm Dorilton Capital Advisors. Headquartered in College Station, Texas, the company provides hospice, home health […]
With coronavirus vaccinations currently in the works, the federal government is developing a framework for equitable allocation. Hospices are among the providers waiting for access to a vaccine, with concerns mounting about availability, efficacy and distribution. These concerns are coming to the forefront as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has indicated […]
Hospices have increasingly leveraged technologies to support their clinical and business operations as they face challenges brought on by the novel coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic may be accelerating a digital shift in operations as providers absorb COVID-19 impacts on technology utilization, with the business of hospice anticipated to run more virtually in coming years. The […]