VITAS Healthcare

Company overview

VITAS offers hospice and palliative care services to patients across the U.S., provided by its doctors, registered nurses, home health aides, social workers, clergy, and volunteers. The organization also supplies home medical equipment and medications to patients while offering spiritual and emotional counseling to patients and their families.

At the conclusion of the fourth quarter of 2015, VITAS reported an average daily census of 15,671 patients. VITAS professionals care for patients at home, in the company's inpatient hospice units, in hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living communities/residential care facilities for the elderly.

History

VITAS began in 1978 as a nonprofit hospice in South Florida, founded in part by Hugh Westbrook, a Methodist Minister and Esther Colliflower, a nurse, who shared the belief that America was doing a poor job of attending to the dying. Their first patient was Emmy Philhour. The organization then became known as Hospice Care, Incorporated, and eventually, VITAS Healthcare.

In 1979 Florida became the first state to have a hospice licensure law. Westbrook and another VITAS founder, Don Gaetz, played a crucial role in passing the Hospice Care Reimbursement Act in 1982 that made hospice a Medicare benefit.

In 2004, VITAS was acquired by Cincinnati-based Chemed for $400 million. Timothy S. O'Toole served as Chief Executive Officer from 2004 when Chemed purchased VITAS until his retirement in June 2016 and Nick Westfall was named CEO.

Charity, community and volunteer work

VITAS Community Connection, a 501(c)3 charitable organization, supports community partners and hospice patients in need. All donations to VITAS Community Connection go to local patient needs.

In 2015, VITAS provided $7.3 million in genuine charity care provided to hospice patients nationwide. Throughout 2016, more than 3,000 volunteers have given 155,900 hours of their time to care for VITAS patients and families.

Healthcare technology

VITAS uses innovative technology to make the transition to hospice care easier for patients, families and clinicians. In April 2015, VITAS was part of a landmark technology roll-out with HealthGrid that enables clinicians to exchange critical patient-care data quickly and securely with other care providers. The same technology helps healthcare providers meet one rule of CMS Meaningful Use Phase 2, which states that data for 10 percent of patients must be transmitted electronically.

Using AirWatch technology on tablets, VITAS employees can access information and media that help patients and families make decisions about end-of-life care.

VITAS provides clinicians with a native mobile app that helps them identify hospice-appropriate patients and begin the admissions process, quickly and securely, from their smart phones.

Because about 80 percent of VITAS employees work in patients' homes, care facilities and other remote locations, the organization places a high priority on creating mobile healthcare technology solutions.

Corporate headquarters

VITAS Healthcare is headquartered in Miami, Florida. In 2013, the organization leased 23,500 square feet at the Miami Center, which is located at 201 South Biscayne Boulevard.

Previously, VITAS was an anchor tenant at Bayfront Plaza at 100 South Biscayne Boulevard, which bears the VITAS name. Bayfront Plaza, completed in the late 1950s, is expected to be demolished and replaced by One Bayfront Plaza in 2018, a large complex which would be among the tallest buildings in Miami.