Big Bend Hospice Launches New Hospital-Based Inpatient Unit

Florida-based Big Bend Hospice has unveiled a new inpatient hospice unit on the third floor of Tallahassee Memorial Hospital (TMH). Dubbed the First Commerce Center for Compassionate Care, the unit is designed to expand end-of-life services to a mostly rural eight-county service area in Florida, where Big Bend has operated for more than 40 years. […]

VNHS Leveraging Tech to Optimize Hospice Patient Experience

After 75 years of service, Georgia-based hospice provider Visiting Nurse Health System (VNHS) has its sights set on the future. Founded in 1948, the organization was the first home-based care provider to operate in Georgia, and in 1975 launched the state’s first hospice program. A major goal for 2024 will be to maximize the benefits […]

VITAS Healthcare Strengthens Executive Team with Key Promotions in Hospice Operations, HME Department

VITAS Healthcare, one of the largest providers of hospice and palliative care services in the U.S., has announced the promotion of several executives to key positions within its leadership team. Announced Tuesday, the promotions bump Kathleen Coronado, Anthony Cosma, Mario De La Rosa and Angela Hamrick up to vice president roles at VITAS. Broadly, the […]

Pathways Hospice Achieves Design Excellence with Inpatient Center

When leaders at Colorado-based Pathways Hospice sat down to design its first standalone inpatient center, they sought to build a facility that embodied the core values of hospice care — an interdisciplinary approach that includes care for both the patient and the family. Pathways, and its center, was among the recipients of this year’s Architecture […]

Hospice Facilities Launch Amid Shuttering Programs

Sarah Bush Lincoln Opens New Hospice Illinois-based Sarah Bush Lincoln Hospice recently opened a new inpatient facility. Located in Mattoon, Illinois, the Willow Breeze Hospice House features eight patient rooms with private bathrooms. Both adult and pediatric hospice patients are eligible to receive general inpatient care (GIP) at the center. Sarah Bush Lincoln announced the […]

New Executives Take the Helm at AccentCare, Blue Ridge, Androscoggin, Good Samaritan

AccentCare Appoints New EVP, CMO Dr. Balu Natarajan has become AccentCare’s new executive vice president and chief medical officer. Natarajan’s role expanded after previously serving as the post-acute company’s chief medical officer for hospice since 2005. In addition to oversee AccentCare’s hospice and palliative care programs, he will also support its clinical care operations and […]

WellSky Partners with Google on AI, Process Automation

The post-acute tech company WellSky is partnering with Google Cloud to enhance its artificial intelligence, data analytics and machine learning capabilities. Google Cloud is a segment of Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG), the parent company of the tech giant Google. The collaboration will bring WellSky larger access to Google Cloud’s Vertex AI, an AI platform that […]

How Hospices Are Diversifying Their Services in 2024

Palliative care, pediatric end-of-life care and end-of-life doula (EOLD) services are top of mind for hospices that are diversifying their services in 2024. Fewer than half of 143 respondents to Hospice News’ 2024 Outlook Survey, conducted with Homecare Homebase, reported that their hospice organizations would pursue new care types this year. But the aim of […]

Hospices Struggle to Balance Costs, Patient Needs in Medication Deprescribing

When deprescribing medications for hospice patients, providers have to navigate a complex web of factors. But according to some clinicians, the prospect of cost savings often takes precedence over clinical outcomes. Medication costs are among hospices’ biggest expenses, and deprescribing some medications deemed “curative” or “unrelated” to the patient’s terminal diagnosis is a standard practice. […]

How Hospices Can Rebrand Post-Merger, Acquisition

Rebranding a hospice company following a merger or acquisition is a more complex process than it may seem at first blush. While consolidation slowed in 2023, many industry observers expect a rebound in 2024, though perhaps not to the record-breaking levels seen in 2021. And although not all acquired companies rebrand, many do in order […]