Chapters Health System and Hospice of Okeechobee Sign Affiliation Agreement

TAMPA, Fla., July 9, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Chapters Health System, one of the nation's premier not-for-profit community-based care organizations headquartered in Temple Terrace, with current affiliates including Good Shepherd Hospice in Polk, Highlands and Hardee counties; HPH Hospice in Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties and LifePath Hospice in Hillsborough County and Chapters Home Care Connect and Palliative Care, today signed an initial agreement with Hospice of Okeechobee to collaborate. Hospice of Okeechobee is a not-for-profit provider of hospice and other end-of-life services for residents living in Okeechobee, St. Lucie and Martin counties. Both organizations expect to finalize the affiliation effective September 1, 2019. With this agreement, Chapters Health and its affiliates will combine to provide care to more than 20,000 Floridians annually residing in 11 Florida counties.

"At Chapters Health, we are always looking for opportunities to partner with like-minded organizations to function more efficiently in today's quickly changing healthcare environment," said Andrew Molosky, MBA, FACHE, CHPCA, president and chief executive officer at Chapters Health. "In signing an initial agreement, our affiliation with Hospice of Okeechobee is destined to allow both organizations to increase and expand access to quality healthcare for a greater numbers of individuals in our communities who are faced with advancing age, complex medical conditions and end-of-life issues."

"Our affiliation with Chapters Health will continue to support the Hospice of Okeechobee legacy," said Gail Gerntrup, BSN, RN, MS, chief executive officer at Hospice of Okeechobee. "I am confident that our common, not-for-profit missions will guarantee that more patients coping with serious illnesses have opportunities to access compassionate care at a challenging time in their lives. After joining Chapters Health, Hospice of Okeechobee will retain its long-established identity and connection to the community we serve."

This affiliation will advance the shared goals of:

• Quality of care and services backed by evidenced-based best clinical practices and demonstrating unsurpassed quality of care in the communities they serve.
• Expanding the Chapters Health network of hospice, palliative care and community based services, providers across three additional Florida counties with shared commitment to quality, service and access.
• Improved stewardship and efficiency through collective purchasing and shared technology, enabling the reinvestment of savings into staffing and care delivery.

About Chapters Health System
Founded in 1983 as a compassionate not-for-profit organization, Chapters Health System provides choices, education and guidance for those affected by advancing age or advancing illness through its managed affiliates: Good Shepherd Hospice, HPH Hospice, LifePath Hospice, and Chapters Health Palliative Care, located in Citrus, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Pasco and Polk counties. In addition, Chapters Health operates Achieve Home Care and HPH Home Health, which serves the home care needs of patients in Hardee, Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties. To learn more, visit http://www.chaptershealth.org, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

About Hospice of Okeechobee
Founded in 1983 by Okeechobee residents Paul Buxton (deceased), Fran Syfrett, Dorothy Bulger and others, Hospice of Okeechobee is an award-winning not-for-profit organization, which has provided compassionate care and support to thousands of local residents and their families in Okeechobee County. To learn more, visit hospiceofokeechobee.org and like us on Facebook.

SOURCE Chapters Health System