VITAS Healthcare

VITAS Healthcare

Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Hospice care, Palliative care
Founded	1978 in South Florida, United States
Founder	Hugh Westbrook, Esther Colliflower
Headquarters	Miami , United States
Area served	United States (15 states and the District of Columbia)
Key people	Nick Westfall (CEO)
Products	Hospice care, palliative services, home medical equipment, pharmaceuticals
Number of employees	12,000
Parent	Chemed Corporation

VITAS® Healthcare stands as a premier provider of end-of-life care in the United States, managing 58 hospice programs through collaborations with hospitals across 15 states and the District of Columbia. With a workforce of 12,000 professionals, VITAS maintains an average daily patient census surpassing 22,000 and specializes in delivering hospice care within patients' homes.

As a subsidiary of Chemed Corporation, a publicly traded company also known for owning Roto-Rooter plumbing services, VITAS draws on more than four decades of expertise as the country’s largest single-source hospice provider. Its integrated care team comprises physicians, registered nurses, home health aides, social workers, clergy members, and volunteers who work closely with hospitals, doctors, nursing facilities, insurance providers, and community groups nationwide.

In addition to hospice and palliative services, VITAS provides home medical equipment and pharmaceuticals while offering emotional and spiritual support to both patients and their families. The company’s name originates from the Latin term for "lives," symbolizing its dedication to compassionate end-of-life care.

History

Founded in 1978 in South Florida as a nonprofit hospice organization by Methodist minister Hugh Westbrook and nurse Esther Colliflower, VITAS initially served its first patient, Emmy Philhour. The organization transitioned from Hospice Care, Incorporated to what is now known as VITAS Healthcare.

Florida became the pioneer state to license hospice care in 1979. Key figures including Westbrook and co-founder Don Gaetz played pivotal roles in the enactment of the 1982 Hospice Care Reimbursement Act, which established hospice services as a Medicare-covered benefit.

In 2004, Chemed Corporation based in Cincinnati acquired VITAS for $400 million. Timothy S. O’Toole led the company as CEO from that acquisition until his retirement in 2016, after which Nick Westfall was appointed as CEO.

Healthcare technology

In 2015, VITAS collaborated with HealthGrid to facilitate secure and efficient patient-care data exchange, aligning with CMS Meaningful Use Phase 2 standards. Utilizing AirWatch technology on tablets, VITAS personnel can access critical information that supports patients and families during end-of-life decision-making.

The company also developed a proprietary mobile application enabling clinicians to quickly identify patients suitable for hospice care and initiate admissions through smartphones, thereby improving operational workflows and patient interaction.

Department of Justice lawsuit

In 2013, the U.S. Department of Justice initiated legal action against Chemed Corporation along with its subsidiaries Vitas Hospice Services LLC and Vitas Healthcare Corporation for allegedly submitting fraudulent Medicare claims between 2002 and 2013. The lawsuit accused them of knowingly billing for crisis care services that were either unnecessary or not provided in compliance with Medicare regulations. In 2017, the entities agreed to pay $75 million to settle the case—the largest amount recovered under the False Claims Act from a hospice provider to date.

Corporate headquarters

VITAS Healthcare’s main office is located in Miami, Florida, where it has leased 23,500 square feet at the Miami Center at 201 South Biscayne Boulevard since 2013. Before this move, VITAS was a primary tenant at Bayfront Plaza (100 South Biscayne Boulevard), a building that prominently displayed the VITAS name. Constructed in the late 1950s, Bayfront Plaza was scheduled for demolition to make way for One Bayfront Plaza, an ambitious Miami development projected to become one of the tallest skyscrapers in the city.