Glades, Hendry and Lee counties will soon have a second hospice provider as a result of a ruling this month by a state administrative judge, but the current provider warns that the entry of VITAS Healthcare may threaten the end-of-life services it provides.
Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) Robert Cohen ruled in favor of VITAS in an Aug. 1 opinion, finding that the for-profit health care provider’s proposal to provide services in the tri-county region would benefit underserved rural residents in Glades and Hendry counties. The current provider, Hope Hospice and Community Services, however, challenged VISTAS’ bid to gain a certificate of need (CON) in Hospice Service Area 8C in southern Florida.
“We have major disagreement with many of (Cohen’s) findings,” Samira Beckwith, Hope’s president and CEO, told the Florida Record in an email. “... Hope provides a broad range of services in the community of 8C, all linked by a shared mission to provide specialized, targeted services to all populations, including the often underserved who often have few options.”
Beckwith pointed to parts of the judge’s order that said although Glades and Hendry counties are underserved, the two counties are small in population and would not support a second hospice provider on their own. But Cohen also said VISTAS’ outreach abilities would help to better identify the underserved communities in the region.
“Glades and Hendry are not being fully served by Hope,” the opinion states. “The hospice utilization rates for both counties rank in the bottom half of the state – at 54% Glades ranks 49th and at 56% Hendry ranks 40th. … Bringing VITAS, with all its marketing, community outreach experience and available experts from neighboring service areas will increase awareness of hospice, of reimbursement for hospice services and for special programs for targeted population groups.”
Beckwith, however, stressed that the introduction of a second hospice provider in the region would place further stress on the nonprofit’s finances and exacerbate recent financial losses.
“We doubt that VISTAS will provide the unreimbursed and under-reimbursed care that Hope has provided for over 40 years for people of all ages with all diagnosis, including our Hope Connections program in Hendry and Glades County,” she said. “This recommended order puts the continuation of these critical services in serious jeopardy.”