Dayton & Wilmington, Ohio (December 21, 2015) – Community Care Hospice has announced plans to become an affiliate of Ohio’s Hospice, joining Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton, Hospice of Central Ohio, Ohio’s Hospice of Miami County and Ohio’s Hospice of Butler & Warren Counties in a strategic partnership committed to sustaining not-for-profit, community-based hospice care in Ohio.

Community Care Hospice, based in Wilmington, is a not-for-profit hospice founded in 2004 serving 10 counties. In 2014, over 300 patients and families received care from the organization, which employs 36. President and CEO, Patti Settlemyre is excited by the opportunities Ohio’s Hospice offers not-for-profit providers. “I feel the timing is right to join this affiliation to ensure that the patients we serve with life-limiting illnesses in our communities get the best possible care. Our Mission is to provide superior quality hospice care to the patients and families in our communities, regardless of their ability to pay. That will not change. Any donations, memorial gifts, and fundraising dollars will stay here in the communities we serve.”

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. Hospice of Central Ohio joined the affiliation in October 2015.

Now along with Community Care Hospice, 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; and,
• 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.

Mark Kratzer, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Community Care Hospice, said, “With the current landscape of decreasing reimbursements and increasing administrative costs, it makes sense to join forces with other not-for-profit hospices to be able to provide excellent quality care to the hospice patients in our community. With the support from Ohio Hospice, we can offer more services and resources to our hospice patients, families and referral sources.”

“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 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.”

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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 Adams, Brown, Butler, Clark, Clermont, Clinton, Champaign, Coshocton, Darke, Delaware, Fayette, Franklin, Fairfield, Greene, Highland, Hocking, Knox, Licking, Miami, Montgomery, Muskingum, Perry, Pike, Preble, Ross, Shelby and Warren counties.

With Hospice of Community Care Hospice’s participation, this strategic partnership will:

• Serve over 7,800 patients annually
• Serve over 1,020 patients each day
• Employ over 836 exceptional staff members
• Continue the economic commitment of community hospices to the communities they serve
• Serve 27 counties in Ohio
• Have the privilege of serving with over 960 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:

Community Care Hospice

Community Care Hospice, a not-for-profit, was founded in 2004, by a group of individuals whose mission it is to provide superior hospice care to their community. Local professionals provide care for patients in a 10 county area surrounding Wilmington. Bereavement and grief support is also provided to hospice families and to the community, including grief groups and support to local schools. Patients are cared for in their home, extended care and assisted living facilities. General inpatient care is available at Clinton Memorial Hospital, along with access to designated hospice beds at Highland District Hospital.

Hospice of Central Ohio

Hospice of Central Ohio has provided a holistic, community-based approach to hospice care for over 30 years. Hospice of Central Ohio is a not-for-profit 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.

Ohio’s Hospice of Butler & Warren Counties

Ohio’s Hospice of Butler & Warren Counties honors the lives of patients by preserving quality of life and respecting patient wishes. A not-for-profit organization serving the needs of communities in Butler as well as Warren Counties, Ohio’s 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 inpatient beds providing short-term patient care when needed for patient comfort and symptom management.

Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton

Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton is a not-for-profit 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. Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton serves over 600 patients and families daily, achieving national recognition for innovative services and outstanding care.

Ohio’s Hospice of Miami County

Ohio’s Hospice of Miami County is a community-based, not-for-profit 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 inpatient homes, extended care and assisted living facilities and a dedicated inpatient care wing at Upper Valley Medial Center.