Palliative Care’s Rising Profile in US Health Care

A diverse range of health care providers have forged a pathway to palliative care services with an aim to improve quality outcomes among a growing seriously ill population. Palliative care delivery trends are increasingly taking root in inpatient and community-based settings across the continuum, Gina Andres, senior director of hospice and palliative care at Kaiser […]

New Hospice Executives Focused on Technology, Workforce Development

New hospice leaders have indicated that workforce development, efficient technologies and growth in home-based services represent key focus areas for providers during the next few years. Meanwhile, their biggest challenges include regulatory and reimbursement shifts. Hospice News recently sat down with two new hospice executives to discuss some of the biggest opportunities and concerns on […]

Kaiser Permanente Care at Home Opens Hospice De Novo

California-based Kaiser Permanente, one of the nation’s largest integrated health systems, has opened a hospice de novo on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. The new location is the most recent of a series of investments that Kaiser has made in the home setting, including hospice and palliative care. Two years ago Kaiser united its […]

Key Trends to Watch: Health Systems Moving into Hospice, Home-Based Care

As more care moves into the home setting, more hospitals and health systems are throwing their hats into the ring. Coupled with the entry of more payers into the space, the influx of health systems into home health, hospice and community-based palliative care stands to change the competitive dynamics in markets nationwide. This is the […]

Geisinger Division Chief Dr. Glen Digwood: Payment Reform Critical to Palliative Care’s Future

While providers and payers do what they can to scale palliative care, ultimately, payment reform will be “critical,” according to Dr. Glen Digwood, division chief of palliative care at Geisinger’s Wyoming Valley Medical Center. Geisinger is a nationally recognized health system headquartered in Danville, Pennsylvania, that currently serves more than 1 million people in its […]

Newly Launched Kaiser Permanente Venture Risant Health Acquires Geisinger

Kaiser Permanente is launching a new nonprofit provider organization branded as Risant Health, kicking it off with the acquisition of a fellow integrated health system — Geisinger Health. Risant Health’s prime directive is to “expand access to value-based care in more communities nationwide,” according to a statement from the two companies. The financial terms of […]

Systematic Change Needed to Support Family Caregivers of Hospice Patients

Given the critical role of family caregivers in home-based care, hospices have a vested interest in expanding their access to support. Families caring for seriously ill loved ones face systemic barriers that could threaten patients’ ability to receive care at home, including at the end of life. If a family can’t withstand these burdens, the […]

Health Systems Adapt to Changing Environment by Expanding Hospice, Home-Based Care

Home-based care, including hospice, is an increasingly attractive space for health systems and hospitals — a trend that accelerated during the pandemic. Health systems are bringing care to the home by a number of routes. Some have launched their own completely new programs or re-organized an existing suite of services, whereas others have pursued acquisitions […]

Agape Care’s New M&A VP, New CEO Takes Helm at Community Hospice

Agape Care Group Appoints M&A VP Alex Ferguson has stepped into the role of senior vice president of mergers and acquisitions at Agape Care Group. The South Carolina-based hospice and palliative care provider is a portfolio company of the private equity firm Ridgemont Equity Partners. In his new role, Ferguson will assess and prioritize M&A […]

Hospice Providers Leverage Data to Reach the Underserved

Race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status are the leading differentiating factors fueling disparities in hospice utilization. Data, and associated documentation, can help fuel policy to improve access for underserved populations nationwide. The nation’s population is growing more racially and ethnically diverse, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report from last year. From 2010 to 2019, the […]