ChristianaCare

ChristianaCare, one of the most dynamic health systems in the mid-Atlantic region, and Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care of Delaware Inc., an AccentCare company and leading provider of hospice and palliative care services in the first state for more than 14 years, today announced a joint venture partnership that will expand in-home hospice and palliative care services throughout Delaware. The name of the company will be ChristianaCare-Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care.

ChristianaCare-Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care will focus on delivering high-quality care to patients and an unparalleled experience for patients and families facing end-of-life care at affordable costs. With this partnership, ChristianaCare-Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care will reinforce its position as the preferred provider of hospice and palliative care services in Delaware.

The joint venture builds on an existing successful relationship between ChristianaCare and Seasons Hospice. Since 2012, Seasons Hospice has managed an inpatient 12-bed unit specifically for hospice patients at ChristianaCare’s Newark campus. Last year, Seasons Hospice opened a similar 13-bed unit at ChristianaCare’s Wilmington campus.

The need for hospice and palliative care is expected to dramatically grow in Delaware in coming years. According to 2019 state statistics, the percent change in the age group of people 65 and older in Delaware will jump from about 18% in 2021 to 52% in 2030 and 62% in 2040.

“With a burgeoning baby boomer population in Delaware, it will be more important than ever to deliver the right care, at the right time and in the right place — in many cases in the home — with an expert team and an unwavering focus on compassion and dignity for patients and their loved ones facing end-of-life care,” said Ric Cuming, Ed.D., MSN, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, chief nurse executive at ChristianaCare and president of ChristianaCare HomeHealth. “This partnership builds on a history of collaboration between two expert teams — ChristianaCare and Seasons Hospice — and will provide people throughout the state with access to high quality, compassionate care.”

“We are excited to partner with ChristianaCare to deliver hospice and palliative care services throughout Delaware,” said Todd Stern, CEO of Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care. “Our patients and their families will continue to experience compassionate, supportive care that is personalized to suit their needs and add to their quality of life. Together, we have a rare opportunity to shape the future of post-acute care so people who need our services can receive them on their terms and where they want them. We believe that ChristianaCare and Seasons Hospice, with support from AccentCare, have the expertise and vision to offer high quality, patient-centered care.”

The joint venture will enable ChristianaCare to provide care throughout the entire span of a patient’s life, from birth to end of life. Patients will no longer need to transfer from ChristianaCare to another provider for end-of-life care.

Seasons Hospice will manage daily patient care. A governing Board will consist of three individuals from each organization. The Board will establish a clinical and quality oversight committee.

Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, ChristianaCare is one of the country’s most dynamic health care organizations, centered on improving health outcomes, making high-quality care more accessible and lowering health care costs. ChristianaCare includes an extensive network of primary care and outpatient services, home health care, urgent care centers, three hospitals (1,299 beds), a freestanding emergency department, a Level I trauma center and a Level III neonatal intensive care unit, a comprehensive stroke center and regional centers of excellence in heart and vascular care, cancer care and women’s health. It also includes the pioneering Gene Editing Institute.

ChristianaCare is nationally recognized as a great place to work, rated by Forbes as the 5th best health system to work for in the United States and by IDG Computerworld as one of the nation’s Best Places to Work in IT. ChristianaCare is rated by HealthGrades as one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals and continually ranked among the nation’s best by U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek and other national quality ratings. ChristianaCare is a nonprofit teaching health system with more than 260 residents and fellows. With its groundbreaking Center for Virtual Health and a focus on population health and value-based care, ChristianaCare is shaping the future of health care.

AccentCare is a nationwide leader in post-acute healthcare, with innovative partnerships and care models covering the full continuum of home-based and post-acute care. Seasons Hospice is a leading provider of hospice and palliative care nationally, serving hundreds of patients daily in Delaware alone.

From personal care services (PCS) to home health to hospice, AccentCare and its family of companies have the expertise and vision to broaden access, connect the care continuum, and bridge gaps in post-acute care. AccentCare and Seasons Hospice have more than 30,700 compassionate professionals in 246 locations, collectively serving over 200,000 individuals across 30 states.

The AccentCare family of companies include Alliance For Health, Gareda, Guardian, HRS, Sta-Home, Southeastern Healthcare at Home, and Texas Home Health, as well as Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care. Collectively, AccentCare companies has over 60 strategic partnerships with insurance companies, physician groups and major health systems.