About Avera @ Home
Hospice overview and quality summary
Avera @ Home is an hospice care provider in Sioux Falls, SD, serving patients and families in Minnehaha County and the surrounding area. Medicare certified since 1988, Avera @ Home has provided 38 years of end-of-life and palliative care to the community.
Avera @ Home serves an average of 120 patients per day, covering 61 ZIP codes across its service area. 29% of care is delivered in patients' homes, consistent with the hospice philosophy of enabling comfort care in familiar surroundings.
Avera @ Home has earned a 4-star CMS quality rating based on caregiver survey results, reflecting strong satisfaction across communication, symptom management, and emotional support. The facility's Hospice Care Index score is 10 out of 10, a composite measure of care quality and efficiency. 20 physicians are affiliated with this hospice.
When choosing hospice care in Sioux Falls, SD, consider quality ratings, caregiver satisfaction surveys, the hospice's experience with your loved one's condition, and the service area. Since hospice care is typically delivered in the home, the responsiveness and availability of the care team are critical factors.
At a Glance
Caregiver Satisfaction
CAHPS Hospice Survey results from bereaved family caregivers
Very Good
CMS CAHPS Hospice Star Rating
Avera @ Home has earned a 4-star quality rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), based on the CAHPS Hospice Survey of bereaved family caregivers. This rating reflects above-average satisfaction across emotional support, symptom management, team communication, and respect. This places Avera @ Home among the higher-rated hospice providers serving families in Sioux Falls, SD.
Emotional & Spiritual Support
How well the hospice team provided emotional and spiritual support
93% of caregivers gave Avera @ Home a top rating for emotional & spiritual support, above the national average of 90%.
Treated with Respect
Whether the patient was treated with dignity and respect
93% of caregivers gave Avera @ Home a top rating for treated with respect, above the national average of 90%.
Help with Symptoms
How well the hospice team managed pain and other symptoms
76% of caregivers gave a top rating for help with symptoms, consistent with the national average of 74%.
Team Communication
How well the hospice team communicated with the family
83% of caregivers gave a top rating for team communication, consistent with the national average of 81%.
Getting Timely Care
Whether the patient received help as soon as it was needed
78% of caregivers gave a top rating for getting timely care, consistent with the national average of 77%.
Training for Family Caregivers
Whether sufficient training was provided to care for the patient
77% of caregivers gave a top rating for training for family caregivers, consistent with the national average of 75%.
Overall Rating (9-10)
Percentage of caregivers rating the hospice 9 or 10 out of 10
85% of caregivers gave Avera @ Home a top rating for overall rating (9-10), above the national average of 81%.
Would Recommend
Percentage of caregivers who would definitely recommend this hospice
92% of caregivers gave Avera @ Home a top rating for would recommend, above the national average of 84%.
Source: CMS CAHPS Hospice Survey · Vertical markers indicate national average
Quality Process Measures
CMS hospice care quality indicators vs. national benchmarks
Treatment Preferences Documented
Patients whose treatment preferences were discussed and documented
100.0%
Natl: 99.5%
Beliefs & Values Addressed
Patients whose beliefs and values were addressed in the plan of care
100.0%
Natl: 98.3%
Pain Screening
Patients screened for pain upon hospice admission
99.8%
Natl: 98.3%
Comprehensive Pain Assessment
Patients with pain who received a comprehensive pain assessment
100.0%
Natl: 94.8%
Dyspnea Screening
Patients screened for shortness of breath upon admission
100.0%
Natl: 99.0%
Dyspnea Treatment
Patients with dyspnea who received treatment within 24 hours
100.0%
Natl: 97.4%
Opioid Bowel Regimen
Patients on opioids who were offered a bowel regimen
100.0%
Natl: 93.2%
Composite Process Score
Composite measure of all hospice care process quality measures
99.8%
Natl: 91.6%
Hospice Care Index
Composite quality score with 10 sub-measures
Overall HCI Score
National average: 8.8/10
Avera @ Home's Hospice Care Index (HCI) score is 10 out of 10, above the national average of 8.8. This composite score reflects stronger-than-average performance across measures of nursing continuity, care transitions, and presence near death.
91.1% of Avera @ Home's patients received visits from the hospice team in their final days of life, significantly above the national average of 47.9%. This is one of the most meaningful quality indicators — having the hospice team present during the final hours provides critical comfort to both patients and families.
Visits Near Death
Patients with visits in last 3 days of life
99.3%
Natl: 89.5%
Nurse Care Minutes
Average nurse care minutes per routine home care day
22.3
Natl: 13.4
Weekend Nursing
Percentage of skilled nursing minutes on weekends
14.3%
Natl: 9.2%
Gaps in Nursing Visits
Stays with gaps in skilled nursing visits
32.6%
Natl: 55.4%
Early Live Discharges
Patients discharged alive within 3 days
6.9%
Natl: 7.2%
Late Live Discharges
Patients discharged alive after enrollment
41.5%
Natl: 40%
Burdensome Transitions (Type 1)
Hospice-to-acute-care transitions near death
3.8%
Natl: 8%
Burdensome Transitions (Type 2)
Acute care admissions near death
0.8%
Natl: 2.3%
CHC/GIP Days
Continuous home care & general inpatient days as share of total
1.6%
Natl: 0.6%
Per-Beneficiary Spending
Average Medicare spending per hospice beneficiary
$10,683
Natl: $16,971
Patient Population
Primary diagnoses of hospice patients
Avera @ Home's patient population is primarily composed of individuals with cancer (28%), followed by dementia (20%), other conditions (20%), cardiovascular disease (14%), respiratory disease (11%), stroke (9%).
Care Settings
Where hospice care is delivered
Avera @ Home delivers 29% of its care in patients' homes, with 43% in nursing facility settings, 20% in assisted living settings, 2% in inpatient hospice settings. The significant proportion of facility-based care may reflect patients requiring higher levels of medical support or those without available home caregivers. The hospice serves an average of 120 patients per day.
Nursing Facility
Patient's Home
Assisted Living
Inpatient Hospice
Doctors at Avera @ Home
20 affiliated physicians
Dr. Aaron Burkhardt, DO
Internal Medicine
Dr. Wendy Vetter, DO
Pediatric Medicine
Dr. Scott Dierks, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Justin Clem, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Tricia Knutson, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Kenneth Kirton, MD
Hospice/palliative Care
Dr. Dustin Snelling, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Jonathon Bannwarth, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Jesse Nieuwenhuis, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Gregg Harvison, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Neil Brummond, MD
Internal Medicine
Dr. Sophie Two Hawk, MD
Internal Medicine
+ 8 more physicians
Dr. Benjamin Liscano, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Alissa Brummond, MD
Internal Medicine
Dr. Brooke Jensen, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Michael Stotz, DO
Family Practice
Dr. Jamie Baden-miles, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Annai Desious, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Jamicah Harris, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Nicholas Kaufman, MD
Internal Medicine
Patient Reviews
Reviews and ratings from patients
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Frequently Asked Questions
About Avera @ Home
What is the CMS rating for Avera @ Home?
Avera @ Home has a 4-star quality rating from CMS based on the CAHPS Hospice Survey of bereaved family caregivers, which evaluates satisfaction across areas including symptom management, communication, and emotional support.
What conditions does Avera @ Home primarily treat?
Avera @ Home's patient population includes cancer (28%), dementia (20%), other conditions (20%), cardiovascular disease (14%), respiratory disease (11%), stroke (9%). This reflects the hospice's experience managing these conditions.
Where does Avera @ Home provide care?
Avera @ Home provides care in nursing facility (43%), patient's home (29%), assisted living (20%), inpatient hospice (2%).
How large is Avera @ Home?
Avera @ Home serves an average of 120 patients per day and covers 61 ZIP codes in its service area.
How many doctors are affiliated with Avera @ Home?
20 physicians are affiliated with Avera @ Home.
Data source: CMS Hospice Compare · CAHPS Hospice Survey ·