DAYTON & NEWARK, Ohio (October 5, 2015) – Hospice of Central Ohio has announced plans to become an affiliate of Ohio’s Hospice, joining Hospice of Dayton, Hospice of Miami County and Hospice of Butler & Warren Counties in a strategic partnership committed to sustaining nonprofit, community-based hospice care in Ohio.

Hospice of Central Ohio, based in Newark, is a not-for-profit hospice founded in 1982 serving nine counties.  In 2014 over 2,500 patients and families received care from the organization, which employs 150.  President and CEO, Kerry Hamilton, is excited by the opportunities Ohio’s Hospice offers nonprofit hospice providers. “The complex regulatory environment and competition with for-profit hospices challenges community nonprofit groups to find creative solutions and opportunities.  Ohio’s Hospice enables organizations with shared missions and values to share expertise, resources and best practices to assure superior care and services for their communities.” 

Ohio’s Hospice was established in 2013 as a collaboration of Hospice of Dayton, Hospice of Butler & Warren Counties and Hospice of Miami County to ensure the long-term success of the shared mission of serving more patients and their families with even higher levels of hospice care.  Now along with Hospice of Central Ohio, these providers deliver:

• more visits and direct care to patients than any other regional hospice provider
• more resources to provide care to patients and their families, like respiratory therapy, massage, occupational, bereavement and art therapies
• more support by serving patients wherever they call home, in every care setting, including extended care facilities, assisted living facilities, hospice houses and hospital in-patient settings.

“The benefit of our partnership, beyond enhancing care and services to the community, is the ability for affiliated organizations to maintain their name, local identity and local presence,” explained Ryan Mills, Board of Directors, Chairman of Hospice of Central Ohio. “Each organization maintains a board of directors comprised of community members, and local leadership that focuses on specific community needs and desired services.  Donor dollars will remain in the community served.  By keeping our local boards and local management, we maintain our community roots and focus.”

“The affiliates of Ohio’s Hospice together set the standard for end-of-life care in the state,” says Ohio’s Hospice Board Chair Greg Toman.  “Their shared expertise and commitment to quality are evident in the sheer number of resources devoted to patient care, not to making a profit where many competitors focus.  Working, sharing and planning together creates for stronger community hospices and enhances of the quality of care and services in the communities they serve.”

“Together, the affiliates of Ohio’s Hospice will set the highest standard of care to ensure Ohioans have access to world class end-of-life and palliative care.  Each affiliate is strengthened by sharing resources and is enabled to respond to the increasing regulatory challenges and a declining reimbursement environment,” said Kent Anderson, President and CEO of Ohio’s Hospice.  “By expanding our strategic partnership, we can continue to grow, protect jobs and maintain strong partnerships with local partners.“

Hospice of Miami County Board Chair Tom Hagan welcomed the addition of Hospice of Central Ohio, noting that “Our organization is proud to be among the first Ohio’s Hospice affiliate and believe our new partners will benefit just as we have from the shared educational, human resources, and other assets available through this collaboration.”

###

Additional Information

All members of Ohio’s Hospice are accredited by The Joint Commission or the Accreditation Commission for Healthcare.  Counties served by Ohio’s Hospice include Butler, Clark, Clinton, Champaign, Coshocton, Darke, Delaware, Franklin, Fairfield, Greene, Hocking, Knox, Licking, Miami, Montgomery, Muskingum, Perry, Preble, Shelby and Warren counties.

With Hospice of Central Ohio’s participation, this strategic partnership will:

• Serve over 7,500 patients annually
• Serve over 970 patients each day
• Employ over 800 exceptional staff members
• Continue the economic commitment of community hospices to the communities they serve
• Serve 20 counties in Ohio
• Have the privilege of serving with over 930 wonderful volunteers
• Ensure that no one in the Ohio communities they serve is denied access to hospice care based on their ability to pay
• Assure that dollars raised to support the community hospice mission remain dedicated to respective communities

Members of Ohio’s Hospice share the values of:

• Providing a patient atmosphere of hospitality, respect and caring
• Attending to the social, physical, and spiritual needs of each person we are privileged to serve
• Preserving and enhancing patient dignity
• Celebrating the life of each individual we serve
• Reducing unnecessary suffering in the communities we serve

Members of Ohio’s Hospice include:

Hospice of Central Ohio has provided a holistic, community-based approach to hospice care for over 30 years. Hospice of Central Ohio is a nonprofit organization serving 9 counties in Central Ohio and is dedicated to supporting the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of patients and families dealing with life-limiting conditions.  The Selma Markowitz Inpatient Center is located on the 6th floor of Licking Memorial Hospital.

Hospice of Miami County is a community-based, nonprofit organization founded in 1983 to “Improve the quality of life for people and families facing life-limiting illnesses.”  Our goal is to be the leader in quality comfort and bereavement care in Miami County. Services are provided to anyone who qualifies regardless of the patient’s insurance coverage or ability to pay.  Services are provided in patient homes, extended care and assisted living facilities and a dedicated in-patient care wing at Upper Valley Medial Center.

Hospice of Butler & Warren Counties honors the lives of patients by preserving quality of life and respecting patient wishes.  A nonprofit organization serving the needs of communities in Butler and Warren Counties, Hospice of Butler & Warren Counties provides a comprehensive range of care in every setting – homes, extended care or assisted living facilities, hospitals, and Lorelei’s Place Hospice House, a free-standing hospice facility with twelve in-patient beds providing short-term patient care when needed for patient comfort and symptom management.

Hospice of Dayton is a nonprofit hospice provider and has served patients and families in the Miami Valley for nearly 40 years in their homes, extended care and assisted living facilities and the Hospice House location in Dayton.  Grief support services are available to the entire community through the Pathways of Hope grief support center.  Hospice of Dayton serves over 600 patients and families daily, achieving national recognition for innovative services and outstanding care.

For Immediate Release                                       

Media Contact

Craig Schrolucke
Director of Mission Engagement & Communication
Ohio’s Hospice

Cschrolucke at OhiosHospice.org