Phoenix Children’s Pediatric Palliative Care Training Works to Bridge Access, Staffing Gaps

Arizona-based Phoenix Children’s Hospital has developed a pediatric hospice and palliative care fellowship program that is positively impacting access to these services. An important piece of pediatric palliative clinical education involves developing a deep level of communication skills to help families navigate complicated decision making around serious illness care, according to Dr. Tressia Shaw, palliative […]

VITAS, Gentiva, Home Health & Hospice Care Expand Inpatient Services; Banner Health Shutters Hospice Programs in Phoenix

VITAS Healthcare Expands Hospital-Based Inpatient Hospice Center Chemed Corp. (NYSE: CHE) VITAS Healthcare recently expanded its inpatient hospice care unit at the Florida-based Broward Health Medical Center. The inpatient facility now has 12 patient beds, up from eight prior to the renovations. VITAS expects to serve roughly 550 patients annually at the center. “VITAS is […]

How Palliative Providers Can Improve Transitions of Care

To ensure smooth care transitions for patients with serious illnesses, palliative providers must tread carefully, collaborating not only with patients and their families but also with other health care providers and community resources to provide holistic support. These types of collaborations help to maintain patient safety, quality and continuity of care, and help ensure that […]

How Hospice, Behavioral Health May Cross Paths

Hospice and behavioral health care could increasingly intersect in coming years as demand for specialized care grows. In some respects, the two sectors are already inextricably linked, given the holistic nature of hospice care, including attention to patients’ psychosocial and spiritual needs as well as bereavement support for families. But the prevalence of mental health […]

Top 10 Largest Hospice Providers of 2020

Despite facing forceful pandemic-related headwinds from COVID-19, mergers and acquisitions and organic growth are fueling market share growth among the organizations listed in the LexisNexis 2020 Top Hospice Providers report. VITAS Healthcare, a subsidiary of Chemed Corp. (NYSE: CHE), led the charge as the largest hospice provider in the United States last year, with 4.42% […]

Advanced Illness Partners Hospice Collaboration Moving Care Upstream

Advanced Illness Partners (AIP), a joint enterprise established by seven hospice and palliative care providers, will enable its members to provide care further upstream for patients suffering from serious and chronic diseases. The venture was designed to facilitate participation in soon-to-be implemented direct contracting payment models from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services […]

Seven Hospice Providers Form Advanced Illness Partners Direct Contracting Venture

A group of seven hospice and senior care providers have formed Advanced Illness Partners (AIP), a joint venture partnership geared for participation in the direct contracting payment models from the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation. Several of the models are slated to launch in April, with a geographic direct contracting option coming in 2022.  […]

The Top 10 Largest Hospice Providers of 2019

Though the hospice space remains fragmented, mergers and acquisitions are driving up market share, particularly for large providers. Along with service diversification and application of emerging technologies, M&A is helping to drive growth among the organizations named in LexisNexis Top 100 Hospices of 2019. With 4.5% of market share, VITAS Healthcare, a subsidiary of Chemed […]

Engaging Faith Groups Supports Hospice Outreach

Hospices that engage with religious leaders and faith communities can boost their public outreach to bring patients into hospice earlier, promote advance care planning as well as increasing market share among unserved populations.  Hospices nationwide work with faith communities to educate the public about the benefits of hospice care and to provide spiritual care to […]