Key Research Trends: Long Hospice Stays, Palliative Care Save Medicare Dollars

The health care space — including hospice — is increasingly shaped by numbers. During the past several years hospice providers have had to become experts in data management in order to remain competitive. Data has become invaluable to negotiations with referral and payer sources, as well as to regulatory compliance. But providers can also benefit […]

4 For-Profit Hospice Providers to Watch in 2023

The hospice space — and the health care system at large — is in a state of flux, driven by value-based reimbursement models, an expanding home-based care continuum and industry-changing transactions. Halfway through the year, Hospice News’ “Four Providers to Watch,” exemplifies the ways that hospice operators are trying to not only to keep up […]

St. Croix Expands Further in Kansas

St. Croix Hospice is continuing its meteoric expansion in the Midwest with a new location in Manhattan, Kansas. This marks the company’s third de novo in as many weeks. Within the past 10 days, the Minnesota-based company christened a new office in Newton, Iowa, and a second in Green Bay, Wisconsin. As part of its […]

To Succeed in Palliative Care, Providers Must Understand Their Partners’ Problems

Palliative care providers are problem solvers, and keeping that perspective in mind can help them design programs and build payer relationships more effectively, experts told Palliative Care News. Though palliative care is picking up steam among payers, providers and investors, significant variation exists in eligibility, reimbursement and care delivery models. This reality can be a […]

St. Croix Expands in Midwest with 2 De Novos

St. Croix Hospice launched two de novos this week, one in Newton, Iowa, and a second in Green Bay, Wisconsin. These additions are among a spate of new locations for the Minnesota-headquartered hospice provider. In 2022 through February of this year, the company launched six other de novos, located in Wisconsin, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, […]

Palliative Care the Next Generation: How the Service May Grow and Evolve

Based on current trends, risk-based payment systems will likely shape the future of palliative care. The palliative care market is projected to swell during the next decade. However, no standardized definition exists for “palliative care.” Providers use a range of approaches to providing the service, from consults with advance care planning to short-term transitional care […]

CMS Extends Hospice VBID Through 2030

The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is extending the value-based insurance design demonstration for calendar years 2025 to 2030, including the hospice component. The hospice component of VBID, also called the MA carve-in, launched in 2021 and was originally slated to complete after four years. Each year, elements of the program have […]

St. Croix Hospice CMO Mayo: Clinical, Medical Onboarding Critical to Growth

After seeing firsthand the person-centered multidisciplinary care that hospices provide, St. Croix Hospice’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Andrew Mayo felt drawn to the field. As a descendant of the Mayo Clinic’s founders, his connection to medicine runs deep. While working in family medicine, hospitals and nursing homes, he started “moonlighting” in hospice, which ultimately took […]

St. Croix’s Strategic Executive Moves; NHPCO’s Ben Marcantonio Named Goodwin Living’s Board VP

Shake Ups in St. Croix’s Executive Level St. Croix Hospice recently made changes to its executive team. The changes are intended to support the organization’s future growth. St. Croix provides hospice to nearly 4,000 patients daily across the Midwest. The hospice provider operates 60 locations in 10 states.  The hospice promoted Eric Lewis to chief […]

St. Croix Hospice Opens Wisconsin De Novo

St. Croix Hospice has expanded in Wisconsin, opening its 14th location in the state. The de novo is located in the Chippewa Falls community. St. Croix, a portfolio company of the private equity firm H.I.G. Capital, now has 200 interdisciplinary team members serving 65 Wisconsin counties. “We have been serving the state of Wisconsin for […]