Hospices Leverage Technology to Improve Patient, Employee Satisfaction, Reduce Turnover 

With burnout as a major cause of turnover, hospices are applying technology to take some of the pressure off of staff in hopes of boosting retention. A frequent goal is reducing the amount of time spent on documentation. Though complete and accurate documentation is essential to regulatory compliance, patient safety and securing payment, the sheer […]

Hiring Surge Propels Capacity, Revenue Gains for VITAS

Though its temporary bonus program has ended, VITAS Healthcare has built on the momentum it created with accelerated hiring and corresponding gains in capacity. VITAS is a subsidiary of Chemed Corp. (NYSE: CHE). The bonus program, which ended in July, included a one-time retention payment that ranges from $2,000 to $15,000 per employee for nurses, […]

Executive Shifts at Amedisys, AMOREM, VITAS; Compassus, Hospice of the Chesapeake Appoint New Clinical Leaders

Amedisys’ New Chief Accounting Officer The forthcoming acquisition of Amedisys, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMED) by UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) subsidiary Optum has sparked executive shifts. The home health and hospice provider recently announced the leadership changes in a filing with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC). Allyson Guidroz was recently appointed as its chief accounting […]

Providers to Lawmakers: Hospice a ‘Huge Value to Medicare’

Rising regulatory scrutiny around length of stay may be having adverse impacts on health care costs and quality, hospice leaders said in a recent Congressional briefing. Fear of regulatory attention, audits or post-payment reviews related to longer stays could drive some hospice providers to discharge patients who can still benefit from their services, according to […]

VITAS Sees Census, Workforce Rebound Amid Lingering Headwinds

Workforce and patient census are rebounding for the Chemed Corp. (NYSE: CHE) subsidiary VITAS Healthcare, but financial pressure points remain. The gains have come with significant effort and costs, including the roll out of its recruitment and retention bonus program last July. Since then, the hospice provider has seen sequential improvements during the last four […]

Hospices Gear Up to Reach More Heart Failure Patients, Enhance Quality 

The incidence of end-stage heart failure is expected to rise throughout the next decade, and hospices are preparing to serve those patients when they become eligible. The number of people who suffer from heart failure is expected to rise by 46% between 2012 and 2023, the American Heart Association (AHA) reported. However, hospice utilization remains […]

VITAS Opens New Hospice House in California

VITAS Healthcare, a subsidiary of Chemed Corp. (NYSE: CHE), has opened its first hospice house in Orange County, California, currently the only such facility in that region. The inpatient facility began accepting referrals on Monday, June 26, and the company expects it to serve more than 300 seriously ill patients annually. “There has been a […]

Where Hospices Are Seeing the Greatest ROI on Staffing Investments

Amid persistent workforce shortages, sign-on and employee referral bonuses, as well as enhanced benefits, are bearing the most fruit for hospice providers. Though many providers are reporting upward trends when it comes to recruitment and retention, some clinical and administrative vacancies remain pain points. Filling gaps in the hospice workforce has come with hefty financial […]

Study: Asian Americans Most Open to Receive Emotional Support Near End of Life, Less Likely to Have Advance Care Plan

Though older Asian-American adults may be less likely to discuss pain and symptom management needs with their health care professionals, they may be more receptive to the psychosocial support included in hospice and palliative care, according to recent research from VITAS’ Healthcare. About 63% of Asians indicated that they would want to receive emotional support […]

Bonus Program Propels Capacity Gains as VITAS Moves Towards Post-Pandemic Rebound

Investments in their workforce have spurred VITAS Healthcare forward on the road to pre-pandemic financial and clinical performance. Like many providers, VITAS has traversed some rough terrain since the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020. A rash of industry-wide headwinds compressed margins and depressed revenue, including spiking supply and labor costs, reduced referrals and length of […]