Amedisys Makes Executive Moves; Bristol Hospice Names New CFO

Amedisys appoints new chief strategy officer Home health and hospice provider Amedisys Inc. (NASDAQ: AMED) recently named Nick Muscato as its new chief strategy officer. Muscato previously served as senior vice president of finance for seven years before stepping into the role. Moscato has led the company’s investor relations activities and has played a “pivotal […]

Rising Admissions, M&A Bolster LHC Group as UnitedHealth Group Deal Proceeds

As LHC Group’s (NASDAQ: LHCG) pending $5.5 billion acquisition by UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) unfolds, the home health and hospice provider is seeing resurgent admissions growth despite persistent workforce pressures. LHC Group saw a contraction in the nursing labor market across its business segments during the second half of last year, President Joshua Proffitt previously […]

ACO REACH’s Health Equity Benchmarks: A Primer for Hospices

The diversity, equity and inclusion components of Accountable Care Organization Realizing Equity, Access and Community Health (ACO REACH) program show promise for expanding access to care. But it means participating hospices will need to devote scarce resources to meet program requirements. The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation’s (CMMI) last year announced a “strategy refresh” […]

Court Dismisses SouthernCare Fraud Allegations, Proceeds with Whistleblower Retaliation Complaint

The Southern District Court of Mississippi granted hospice provider SouthernCare Inc.’s motion to dismiss a whistleblower’s False Claims Act complaint. However, the court will proceed in hearing allegations that the company terminated an employee who raised concerns about these practices. Former SouthernCare nurse Rhonda McClinton filed a qui tam complaint against the organization in 2016, […]

Addus Positioned to ‘Stay Acquisitive’ During 2022

Acquisitions will be crucial to Addus HomeCare Corp.’s (NASDAQ: ADUS) 2022 objectives as COVID headwinds start to abate. The company expects to gain momentum on expansion as the year progresses. Acquisitions remain an important part of the company’s growth strategy as it seeks to co-locate each of its three business lines in the markets it […]

Hospice Unattainable for Some Families Without Caregiver Support

The nation’s health care system is lacking in support for caregivers of the terminally ill, who are often left with a heavy financial and logistical burden. Without assistance or relief, these difficulties can impede access to hospice. Research has shown that patients who are faced with end-of-life decisions may be less likely to choose hospice […]

Amedisys Eyes Palliative Care Expansion Via Contessa Joint Ventures

Amedisys (NASDAQ: AMED) subsidiary Contessa Health is seeing strong patient engagement for its expanded home-based palliative care program, which the company launched in January in partnership with Mount Sinai Health System in New York. Tennessee-based Contessa Health provides a continuum of home-based care, including high-acuity services such as hospital-at-home and skilled-nursing-at-home services. Home health and […]

Humana Hitting the Mark with Kindred at Home

Eight months after closing, Humana’s (NYSE: HUM) $5.7 billion acquisition of Kindred at Home is bearing fruit. The company has seen significant growth in its home health business and is on the cusp of divesting the hospice segment at a sizable valuation. Earlier this month the company signed a definitive agreement to sell a 60% […]

Blue Monarch CEO: Hospice Startup Seeks to Raise Bar on Quality

Nurse practitioner Raphael and registered nurse Britt Akobundu, a married couple, launched San Diego-based Blue Monarch Hospice this past March, with the intent of improving the quality of life for not only patients and families, but also health care workers.  CEO Raphael Akobundu recently sat down with Hospice News to discuss the couple’s experience of […]