End Well Founder: Funding and Staff Support Needed to Weather COVID-19

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 to Reposition Hospice, Home Health Business, Considering Spin Off

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 […]

Pandemic Creates Push for Increased Hospice Caregiver Respite

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 Opens Inpatient De Novo in Miami

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 […]

United States Ranks Low in Palliative Care Duration

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 Acquires Harbor Light Hospice

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 […]

Hospices Prepare for COVID Vaccine Roll Out

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 […]

COVID Driving Tech Innovations in Hospice

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 […]

COVID-19 Surge Pummeling Hospice Operations, Finances 

A strained workforce and patient accessibility continue to plague hospice providers nearly a year into the COVID-19 pandemic. The recent uptick of cases has further pressed hospice providers, with concerns growing about their ability to respond as the year comes to a close. Another surge of the pandemic is hitting the United States almost 11 […]

Cultural Training, Community Outreach Bridges Gaps in Hospice Service

Providers have increasingly focused on closing racial and cultural gaps to equitable hospice care among historically underserved populations. Investing in culturally competent staff and local outreach could help break down barriers preventing many African American, Hispanic and Native American patients from accessing hospice. Racial disparities in utilization of hospice and palliative care persist, with data […]