About Care Central Vna & Hospice
Hospice overview and quality summary
Care Central Vna & Hospice is a nonprofit hospice care provider in Gardner, MA, serving patients and families in Worcester County and the surrounding area. Medicare certified since 1991, Care Central Vna & Hospice has provided 35 years of end-of-life and palliative care to the community.
Care Central Vna & Hospice serves an average of 63 patients per day, covering 82 ZIP codes across its service area. 89% of care is delivered in patients' homes, consistent with the hospice philosophy of enabling comfort care in familiar surroundings.
Care Central Vna & Hospice has earned a 5-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 9 out of 10, a composite measure of care quality and efficiency. 17 physicians are affiliated with this hospice.
When choosing hospice care in Gardner, MA, 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
Excellent
CMS CAHPS Hospice Star Rating
Care Central Vna & Hospice has earned a 5-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 Care Central Vna & Hospice among the higher-rated hospice providers serving families in Gardner, MA.
Emotional & Spiritual Support
How well the hospice team provided emotional and spiritual support
91% of caregivers gave a top rating for emotional & spiritual support, consistent with the national average of 90%.
Treated with Respect
Whether the patient was treated with dignity and respect
94% of caregivers gave Care Central Vna & Hospice 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
77% of caregivers gave Care Central Vna & Hospice a top rating for help with symptoms, above the national average of 74%.
Team Communication
How well the hospice team communicated with the family
87% of caregivers gave Care Central Vna & Hospice a top rating for team communication, above the national average of 81%.
Getting Timely Care
Whether the patient received help as soon as it was needed
85% of caregivers gave Care Central Vna & Hospice a top rating for getting timely care, above the national average of 77%.
Training for Family Caregivers
Whether sufficient training was provided to care for the patient
83% of caregivers gave Care Central Vna & Hospice a top rating for training for family caregivers, above the national average of 75%.
Overall Rating (9-10)
Percentage of caregivers rating the hospice 9 or 10 out of 10
86% of caregivers gave Care Central Vna & Hospice 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
88% of caregivers gave Care Central Vna & Hospice 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
99.7%
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
99.7%
Natl: 91.6%
Hospice Care Index
Composite quality score with 10 sub-measures
Overall HCI Score
National average: 8.8/10
Care Central Vna & Hospice's Hospice Care Index (HCI) score is 9 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.
53.9% of Care Central Vna & Hospice'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
93.4%
Natl: 89.5%
Nurse Care Minutes
Average nurse care minutes per routine home care day
13.7
Natl: 13.4
Weekend Nursing
Percentage of skilled nursing minutes on weekends
7.5%
Natl: 9.2%
Gaps in Nursing Visits
Stays with gaps in skilled nursing visits
31.8%
Natl: 55.4%
Early Live Discharges
Patients discharged alive within 3 days
8.8%
Natl: 7.2%
Late Live Discharges
Patients discharged alive after enrollment
26.3%
Natl: 40%
Burdensome Transitions (Type 1)
Hospice-to-acute-care transitions near death
3.5%
Natl: 8%
Burdensome Transitions (Type 2)
Acute care admissions near death
5.3%
Natl: 2.3%
CHC/GIP Days
Continuous home care & general inpatient days as share of total
0%
Natl: 0.6%
Per-Beneficiary Spending
Average Medicare spending per hospice beneficiary
$12,941
Natl: $16,971
Patient Population
Primary diagnoses of hospice patients
Care Central Vna & Hospice's patient population is primarily composed of individuals with cancer (31%), followed by dementia (22%), cardiovascular disease (20%), other conditions (16%), respiratory disease (9%), stroke (3%). While cancer has historically been the most common hospice diagnosis, the proportion of non-cancer patients has grown substantially over the past decade.
Care Settings
Where hospice care is delivered
Care Central Vna & Hospice delivers 89% of its care in patients' homes, with 10% in skilled nursing settings, 1% in assisted living settings. The high proportion of home-based care aligns with the hospice philosophy of enabling patients to receive comfort care in familiar surroundings with family nearby. The hospice serves an average of 63 patients per day.
Patient's Home
Skilled Nursing
Assisted Living
Doctors at Care Central Vna & Hospice
17 affiliated physicians
Dr. Gennady Gelman, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Katherine Fitzgerald, DO
Family Practice
Dr. Nicholas Mcauley, MD
Internal Medicine
Dr. Aqib Chaudhry, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Elizabeth Nottleson, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Brenda Geddis-comrie, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Gretchen Kelley, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Piotr Grabias, MD
Internal Medicine
Dr. David Havlin, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Tricia Vorderstrasse, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Kenneth Guarnieri, MD
Internal Medicine
Dr. Andrey Sayko, MD
Family Practice
Patient Reviews
Reviews and ratings from patients
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Frequently Asked Questions
About Care Central Vna & Hospice
What is the CMS rating for Care Central Vna & Hospice?
Care Central Vna & Hospice has a 5-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 Care Central Vna & Hospice primarily treat?
Care Central Vna & Hospice's patient population includes cancer (31%), dementia (22%), cardiovascular disease (20%), other conditions (16%), respiratory disease (9%), stroke (3%). This reflects the hospice's experience managing these conditions.
Where does Care Central Vna & Hospice provide care?
Care Central Vna & Hospice provides care in patient's home (89%), skilled nursing (10%), assisted living (1%).
How large is Care Central Vna & Hospice?
Care Central Vna & Hospice serves an average of 63 patients per day and covers 82 ZIP codes in its service area.
How many doctors are affiliated with Care Central Vna & Hospice?
17 physicians are affiliated with Care Central Vna & Hospice.
Data source: CMS Hospice Compare · CAHPS Hospice Survey ·