VITAS Inpatient Hospice Unit

If hospice patients need care beyond what can be provided at home, the VITAS inpatient hospice unit is designed to provide necessary and appropriate care. The staff--physician, registered nurse, social worker, chaplain, volunteer, bereavement specialist, team manager--focus on bringing your symptoms under control with the goal of getting you back to where you want to be--in the comfort of your own home--as soon as possible. Each VITAS inpatient unit provides a calm, home-like atmosphere. Visits from family, friends and pets are welcome and unrestricted. There are provisions for family members to spend the night or warm up a home-cooked meal. Each unit provides amenities such as family room, kitchenette and quiet room for prayer, meditation or quiet conversation. Established in 1978. VITAS® Healthcare Established in 1978. VITAS has enjoyed dynamic growth since its beginnings as a volunteer organization founded by a United Methodist minister and a registered nurse. Our first patient, Emmy Philhour, was determined to die at home, living as she wanted to live. VITAS helped her do that, and we have been listening to and learning from our patients ever since. In 1982, VITAS was instrumental in leading a bi-partisan effort to add hospice to the healthcare payment system. As a result, Medicare pays for hospice services, many states have established Medicaid coverage for hospice, and virtually all private insurers and managed care plans provide coverage for hospice care. Today, VITAS is the nation's leading provider of end-of-life care. Headquartered in Miami, Florida,VITAS has hospice programs across the country. Our name, derived from the Latin word for life, symbolizes the VITAS mission: to preserve the quality of life for those who have a limited time to live.