Greenwich (Conn.) Hospital is shuttering its hospice program amid low volumes and insurance barriers.
Greenwich Hospital President Norman Roth told the Greenwich Time the closure was in part a result of declining patient volumes. While the program needs 20 or more patients to fulfill service responsibilities, the hospital only averaged about six patients at any given time. The program also faced pressure from insurance regulations that block New York state insurers from paying for hospice care provided in Connecticut.
A new contractor, Miami, Fla.-based Vitas Healthcare, will take over the hospital's end-of-life care services under a transfer agreement. Most of the seven staffers with the hospice program have been relocated to other departments within Greenwich Hospital or Vitas, while one member voluntarily left, according to the report.