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 […]

House Bill Would Extend Hospice Payment Sequestration Moratorium

Reps. Brad Schneider (D-IL) and David McKinley (R-WV) have introduced the Medicare Sequester COVID Moratorium Act in the U.S. House of Representatives.  The bill would extend the temporary suspension of Medicare sequestration payment reductions for hospices for the duration of the federally declared COVID-19 public health emergency. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) […]

VITAS CEO Westfall: Plan for COVID to Last Well Into 2021

As 2021 approaches hospice providers are contending with a massive second wave of COVID-19, with the numbers of cases and fatalities escalating each day. Despite promises of a vaccine on the horizon, predicting when the pandemic will end remains impossible. For this reason, VITAS Healthcare CEO Nick Westfall says that his company is planning for […]

VITAS Sees Growth Despite Dip in Length of Stay

VITAS, the hospice subsidiary of Chemed Corp. (NYSE: CHE), continues to achieve financial growth despite seeing a drop in median patient length of stay and a reduction in high acuity services, such as general inpatient care and continuous home care. The pandemic has led to a drop in referrals from nursing homes and assisted living […]

VITAS Opens Inpatient De Novo in San Antonio

VITAS Healthcare, a subsidiary of of Chemed Corp. (NYSE: CHE), has expanded in the San Antonio market with a new inpatient unit. The company expects the unit to serve more than 700 patients each year.  The 14-bed unit is designed to create a homelike environment for patients and families, according to VITAS. Patients will be […]

VITAS Sees Growth Despite COVID-19 Costs

A rise in patient census pulled up revenues for hospice provider VITAS Healthcare, a subsidiary of Chemed Corp. (NASDAQ: CHE) in the second quarter, despite declining admissions and rising expenses stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.  In addition to VITAS, Chemed owns the plumbing company Roto-Rooter.   The company’s average daily census reached 19,195 patients during the […]

VITAS Expands in the Florida Panhandle

VITAS Healthcare, a subsidiary of Chemed Corp. (NYSE: CHE), has expanded its footprint in the Florida panhandle with a de novo location in Panama City. The agency will serve patients in six Florida counties. As a part of the expansion, VITAS is hiring 42 new full-time employment positions across several disciplines. The location will also […]

PPE Shortages Remain a Top Concern for Hospice Providers

Health care organizations of all stripes have been struggling to obtain the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) to maintain continuity of care safely during the pandemic, and hospices have been no exception. Hospice providers of all walks have had varied experiences in PPE supply lines, with some having deeper pockets and greater access than others. […]

Hospices Contend with COVID Relief Funding Questions

Under the CARES Act enacted in March, many hospice providers nationwide received federal relief funding to provide monetary support as they reeled from the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. As the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) distributed millions of often unsolicited dollars from the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund, legal […]

Health Care System Disruption Led to Hospice Admissions Drop During COVID-19 

Some hospice providers saw a drop in admissions as a result of disruptions in the larger health care space during the coronavirus pandemic, but expect to see numbers trend upwards as the system stabilizes. Hospice admissions throughout the nation have been impacted by the pandemic’s upheaval effects, particularly among hospitals that were strained to their […]