ProMedica Scales Down Operations; New Inpatient Facilities Open at Beacon Hospice, Holy Name Medical Center, The Hansen House

ProMedica Shutters Two Home Health Locations

ProMedica is shuttering two home health and hospice programs in Ohio and Michigan. The closures will take effect in November.

The closures are part of the nonprofit health system’s strategic plans to divest its home health care services, the company indicated in a letter penned to the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services.

Financial headwinds were also a factor in the decision, according to Gary Cates, chief government relations officer at ProMedica.

“As a result of the upcoming divestiture of the majority of its home health and hospice business and ongoing financial challenges, ProMedica Employment Services II has made the difficult decision to reduce the workforce at its home health agency in Sylvania, Ohio,” Cates stated in the letter.

ProMedica began divesting its home health and hospice services earlier this year with the sale of Heartland Hospice and other assets to Gentiva. The hospice, palliative and personal care provider is a portfolio company of the private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CDR). The Heartland asset was valued at $710 million, Bloomberg reported.

The health care system is also shrinking operations at ProMedica Home Health Agency in Sylvania, Ohio. More than 120 employees at the location are anticipated to be laid off by mid-December.

Scaling back operations at the facility will allow ProMedica to narrow focus of its services towards pediatric patients in the region, a population in the “greatest need of home health care,” the company told Beckers Hospital.

Beacon Hospice Opens Inpatient Center

Beacon Hospice has announced plans to open a de novo in Austin, Texas, expanding its existing geographic footprint in the state.

The new inpatient facility is set to open in spring 2024, and will feature 18 private patient rooms and a family gathering area.

The nonprofit hospice provider operates six locations in Texas and three others in Michigan. Beacon Hospice is part of Michigan-based Harbor Healthcare System. Harbor Hospice is also part of the health system, which operates 50 locations across seven states, including Texas.

The center will provide patients with “around-the-clock” hospice care and offer 24-hour visitation hours for loved ones, according to Brenna Rodriguez, vice president of operations at Harbor Hospice.

A main goal is to provide “a place for families to stay alongside their loved ones,” Rodriquez told local news. “Being a freestanding inpatient facility is ‘unique’ for a hospice service,” she said.

New Hospice Facility Launches in Arizona

Bonnie Irr, a retired hospice nurse, is launching a new inpatient facility in southwestern Arizona to improve end-of-life care access to families in need.

The Hansen House will be located in Yuma, Arizona, and offers inpatient hospice care to patients and families who are unable to afford hired caregivers.

The decision to open a new inpatient hospice came a year after Irr’s retirement, sparked by growing recognition around lagging access to this level of care for patients and families in tighter financial spots, she stated. Irr serves as executive director at The Hansen House.

The inability to hire a caregiver can be “debilitating” for patients and families facing life’s final stages, according to Irr.

“I was a palliative care nurse at [a] hospital and I found a great need when we had trouble discharging patients who were actively dying and their families couldn’t take care of them,” Irr told local news. “So, when I retired last year, this was my mission — to start this home.”

The nonprofit inpatient center will be located in a three-bedroom house, with patients and families able to personalize spaces. Patients will have the option to receive end-of-life care from a hospice provider of their choice. Hospices provide medical care plans, while the center’s staff provides 24/7 personal care, medication administration and assistance with meals, bathing and other activities of daily living (ADLs).

Other services offered at the hospice facility include aroma and music therapies, as well as remembrance projects for loved ones.

Holy Medical Center Reopens Hospice Center

New Jersey-based Holy Name Medical Center recently reopened its inpatient hospice after a multi-year renovation of the facility.

The Villa Marie Claire hospice center is located on a 26-acre property in Saddle River, New Jersey and features a home-like environment with private patient rooms and overnight accommodations for families. The facility has a chapel, library, dining room and playroom for children, as well as a swimming pool, horse stables and an outdoor pavilion area.

Patients at the center receive 24/7 hospice care from an interdisciplinary team of skilled nurses, social workers and spiritual counselors, and families are offered bereavement support services..

The renovated space provides a place for hospice patients to “fully celebrate life” with family and friends, according to Mike Maron, president and CEO at Holy Name Medical Center.

“Holy Name completely reimagined the hospice and palliative care experience and how families can navigate the end-of-life stage,” Maron said in an announcement. “We are grateful to Governor Murphy, Senator Sarlo and the entire Legislature for bringing greater awareness to our effort to improve end-of-life care in New Jersey and for assisting us in creating this incredibly special place. Our community deserves comfort, dignity and high-quality care in the final stage of life, and Villa Marie Claire makes that possible.”

Holy Name Medical Center is a faith-based nonprofit health system with 361 acute care patient beds, a cancer facility, fitness center and an inpatient hospice. The health system also operates the Sister Claire Tynan School of Nursing. Other areas of focus include multiple sclerosis, wound healing and clinical research.