VITAS® Healthcare Expands Access to Quality End-of-Life Care in Southwest Florida Counties: Glades, Hendry, Lee

CLEWISTON, Fla., Sept. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As Florida's aging population continues to grow, so does the need for easier access to end-of-life care services, especially in key areas such as the Southwest counties. Now offering quality hospice care in Glades, Hendry and Lee counties, VITAS Healthcare opened its first office today in the City of Clewiston.

"VITAS is dedicated to making hospice care available to all who are eligible," said Mark Hayes, VITAS vice president of operations. "Patients have the right to choose among providers as they seek to enhance their quality of life during their final months. With the VITAS value of putting patients and families first, we offer an option to patients who choose to receive end-of-life services from a team of committed and compassionate experts."

For more than 40 years, VITAS has provided innovative, patient-centered hospice care throughout Florida. The new Clewiston office serves as a home base for interdisciplinary teams who provide clinical, emotional and spiritual care for patients in their homes, nursing homes, assisted living communities and inpatient care settings.

VITAS services for hospice-eligible Southwest Florida patients include:

• Admissions personnel available 24/7/365—at the convenience of the family or upon the request of the physician
• Physical, emotional and spiritual care provided by a hospice team that visits the patient in the comfort of their home, nursing home or assisted living facility, an average of five-plus times per week
• 24/7 access to trained clinicians who can send a team member to the patient's home when necessary
• Continuous care at home for up to 24 hours when needed
• Comprehensive open formulary pharmacy program, with hospice-related medical equipment and supplies delivered to the home
• Complex modalities for high-acuity patients (IV therapies, inotropes, paracentesis/thoracentesis, high-flow oxygen, palliative blood transfusions, TPN and more)

Additional therapies and patient-focused programs include:

• Nationally recognized veterans program
• Music Therapy visits by a certified music therapist with the goal of meeting physical, emotional, cognitive, social and spiritual needs through music
• Paw Pals® visits from loving animals and their volunteer owners to provide comfort
• Specialized sepsis care and palliative care teams

Since its founding over 40 years ago in Florida, VITAS has cared for more than 1.5 million patients nationally. As the number of seniors in Florida continues to grow, VITAS is committed to entering new markets to expand access to communities in need of high-quality hospice services.

Adding Value to the Local Community

VITAS develops deep roots in the communities it joins by partnering with community organizations to help further the mission of providing quality healthcare to all.

Care for the community also extends to caregivers and healthcare practitioners. VITAS has plans to offer Alzheimer's and dementia education and support for caregivers, core training for assisted living facilities, and mobile hospice education and outreach. 

VITAS Is Hiring!

Additional offices are expected to open across the three counties, and VITAS offers job opportunities spanning a range of disciplines. Interested candidates can learn more and apply at VITAS.com/careers.

Refer Hospice-Eligible Patients

Healthcare professionals can submit seamless and secure referrals anytime through the VITAS Healthcare mobile app. Referrals are also accepted 24/7 online at VITAS.com/referrals or by calling 800.93.VITAS.

About VITAS® Healthcare
Established in 1978, VITAS Healthcare is a pioneer and leader in the American hospice movement. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, VITAS (pronounced VEE-tahs) operates 49 hospice programs in 14 states (California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin) and the District of Columbia. VITAS employs 9,509 professionals who care for patients with advanced illness, primarily in the patients' homes, and also in the company's 26 inpatient hospice units as well as in hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living communities/residential care facilities for the elderly. At the conclusion of the second quarter of 2022, VITAS reported an average daily census of 17,360. Visit www.vitas.com.

 Media inquiries contact: [email protected], 877-848-2701 

SOURCE VITAS Healthcare