Pasadena, Md.-based Chesapeake Palliative Medicine has rebranded as Chesapeake Supportive Care to shed stigma that arise from misconceptions about hospice and palliative medicine. Chesapeake Supportive Care is affiliated with Hospice of the Chesapeake. Several hospices and palliative care providers nationwide have been rebranding in recent months, often due to the stigma or to reflect a […]
Michigan-based health care system Beaumont Health is resuming management of the pediatric hospice program that it sold to Alternate Health Solutions Network (AHSN) in 2018 for an undisclosed sum. Though, AHSN is unable to sustain the program in the long term, no gaps in care have occurred and none are expected. Beaumont sold the majority […]
The spiritual beliefs of not only patients but their surrogate decision makers play a significant role in whether a terminally ill individual will enter hospice. Specifically, a surrogate’s belief in the existence of miracles has a significant influence on end-of-life care decisions. Surrogates who believe in miracles are less likely to elect hospice on behalf […]
Hospice providers are using new machine learning tools to identify patients in need of their services earlier in the course of their illnesses and to ensure that patients receive appropriate levels of home visits in their final days. While hospice utilization is rising, lengths of stay for many patients remains too short for them to […]
Minnesota-based St. Croix Hospice has grown its footprint in its home state with a new location in Grand Rapids. St. Croix is a portfolio company of the Chicago-based private equity firm Vistria Group. St. Croix has been well positioned for growth, opening five de novos in Wisconsin, Nebraska and Minnesota during the past 12 months. […]
Accountable care organizations (ACOs) view prevention of hospitalization, readmissions and emergency department visits as top priorities, according to new research published in Health Affairs. Hospices marketing themselves to ACOs would do well to keep those metrics in mind when interfacing with those organizations. Close to 1,000 ACOs cover 44 million patients nationwide as of the […]
A pilot collaboration between Bristol Hospice Hawaii and Ohana Health Plan, Inc. to provide interdisciplinary palliative care to complex patients resulted in a 40% reduction in health care costs, as well as substantial reductions in avoidable hospitalizations and emergency room visits. Ohana is a component of WellCare Health Insurance of Arizona, Inc. The program focused […]
Peggy Maguire, president of Cambia Health Foundation, oversees the philanthropic arm of Portland, Ore.-based Cambia Health Solutions, an enterprise that includes more than 20 companies with the mission to improve the economic sustainability of the health care system. During her tenure, Maguire helped transform the foundation from a regional grant-making institution to an investor in […]
Agrace HospiceCare has opened a dedicated dementia unit within its Fitchburn, Wis., inpatient facility for patients who are no longer able to receive care in their homes. A rising number of dementia patients are choosing to elect hospice. In 2017, 15.6% of hospice patients had dementia as their principal diagnosis, according to the National Hospice […]
Miami-headquartered hospice provider VITAS Healthcare has expanded its footprint in Texas with a new location in San Marcos, just outside of San Antonio. VITAS is a subsidiary of Chemed Corp. (NYSE: CHE). VITAS operates 48 hospice programs in 14 states, with a total average daily census of 19,137 as of the end of the third quarter […]