Arkansas Hospice of North Little Rock said Thursday that LifeTouch Hospice, which has been operated by the SHARE Foundation of El Dorado, is now part of its network of care.
David Edwards, director of communications for Arkansas Hospice, declined to comment on the nature of the transaction or financial details. LifeTouch serves a five-county area in south Arkansas and has offices in El Dorado and Magnolia.
“This new affiliation with Arkansas Hospice will position us to maintain the mission and ministry of LifeTouch Hospice,” Dr. Brian Jones, president and CEO of the SHARE Foundation, said in a news release.
The two organizations said the relationship will “strengthen the ability of both providers to carry on their nonprofit missions in light of the evolving healthcare market and massive changes anticipated in how Medicare covers and pays for hospice care over the next few years.”
The organizations said the Medicare changes have prompted many small, rural hospices to join larger providers “to ensure sustainability in the future.” They said Medicare pays for about 90% of hospice care.
The deal will put employment at Arkansas Hospice, the state’s largest nonprofit provider of hospice care, at between 400 to 430 employees serving about 600 patients a day. Its statewide footprint will grow from 43 to 48 counties.
Early last year, Arkansas Hospice announced that it had acquired First Choice Senior Care of Little Rock. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Arkansas Hospice said in a news release that First Choice would operate as a subsidiary and continue to provide services to seniors in their homes, retirement communities, assisted living care facilities and nursing homes across central Arkansas.
Founded in 1996, the SHARE Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that aims to “foster programs and services that further the health and well-being of the people of our community and surrounding areas.” In April, SHARE Foundation was among a consortium of groups that formed a nonprofit to buy the 112-bed Medical Center of South Arkansas of El Dorado.
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