Hospices See Gaps Between MA Carve-In Design Vs. Results

The advent of value-based programs such as the hospice component of the value-based insurance design (VBID) demonstration hold financial promise for providers — as well as risks. As the hospice component of VBID nears the end of its first year, some providers are seeing gaps between how the program is designed and how it is […]

Staffing, Workplace Culture a Deciding Factor in Hospice M&A Deals

Merger and acquisition activity in the hospice and home health care space has been exploding in recent years as investors from all walks dive into these markets. Hospice deals have been moving forward at a record pace. As providers contend with widespread workforce shortages, buyers are paying close attention to leadership teams, staffing levels and […]

WellSky CEO Miller: Hospice Will Evolve With Interoperability, Analytics

Emerging technologies such as predictive analytics and interoperable electronic medical records (EMR) will become an essential part of how hospices and other providers do business, particularly as the system moves closer to value-based payment models, according to Bill Miller, board chairman and CEO of the post-acute technology company WellSky. WellSky is jointly owned by two […]

COVID Driving Tech Innovations in Hospice

Hospices have increasingly leveraged technologies to support their clinical and business operations as they face challenges brought on by the novel coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic may be accelerating a digital shift in operations as providers absorb COVID-19 impacts on technology utilization, with the business of hospice anticipated to run more virtually in coming years. The […]

Growing Number of Hospices Pursuing Trauma-Informed Care

When a hospice patient suffering from dementia began to hoard milk and other fluids, he was almost asked to leave the skilled nursing facility caring for him. But hospice staff trained in trauma-informed care recognized his fear response and pursued interventions, bringing the patient relief and allowing him to remain in the place he called […]

Hospice Tech Provider WellSky to Acquire CarePort Health for $1.35 Billion

Health care technology company WellSky, which works extensively in the hospice and post-acute care space, has inked a definitive agreement to purchase CarePort Health from its parent company Allscripts (NASDAQ: MDRX) for the sum of $1.35 billion. CarePort develops software platforms designed to better connect post-acute care providers with payers. The acquisition is expected to […]

Point-of-Care Documentation Impacts Hospice Compliance, Safety and Payment

Incomplete or inaccurate patient documentation poses risks both to hospice patients and their providers. These errors can jeopardize patient safety, lead to delays in treatment and adversely impact payments to hospices from Medicare. Incorrect documentation also attracts regulatory scrutiny. Submitting inadequate or incomplete required written documentation is a sure-fire way to bring surveyors or auditors […]

TPG Capital, Leonard Green & Partners to Share Ownership of WellSky

Health technology company WellSky and its parent company, the private equity firm TPG Capital, have signed a definitive agreement to bring on Leonard Green & Partners as a capital partner. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed, but TPG Capital will make a new equity investment in WellSky.  Leonard Green is a Los Angeles-based […]

Hospices Use Heat Map Technology to Track COVID-19, Allocate PPE

Allocating protective personal equipment (PPE) to staff has been an ongoing difficulty for hospice providers as they contend with dwindling supplies and increased costs as the coronavirus pandemic continues. Emerging technologies such as heat mapping are showing promise in helping hospices to identify geographic areas hardest hit by the novel coronavirus and in the greatest […]

Hospices Focus on Staff to Cut Turnover During Pandemic

Even as COVID-19 puts new staffing pressures on hospice and palliative care providers, organizations continue to wrestle with ongoing staffing shortages. While organizations respond to the pandemic, the business of hospice continues — including the need to control routine issues such as staff turnover.  The United States has 13.35 hospice and palliative care specialists for […]