Home Health & Hospice Week

Industry Note:

Healthcare System Closes Home Health Unit

Hospitals and health systems are finding it harder and harder to sustain their home care programs.

For example: Fort HealthCare in Fort At-kinson, Wis., is closing its home care program, reports the Daily Union newspaper. Fort Health-Care Home Health will no longer accept new referrals Jan. 1.

"This decision to close the service is a difficult one," Fort HealthCare’s Kay Wipperfurth told the newspaper. "Hospital-based home health agencies across the country are closing due to high overhead costs and continually falling reimbursement from Medicare," she noted. "Under these circumstances, it has become impractical for Fort Health-Care to sustain a program experiencing such significant annual operating losses."

Faith-based retirement community Mar-quardt Village’s Marquardt Home Health division will accept Fort HealthCare’s patients, according to the Union.

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