About Cedar Valley Hospice
Hospice overview and quality summary
Cedar Valley Hospice is a for-profit hospice care provider in Waterloo, IA, serving patients and families in Black Hawk County and the surrounding area. Medicare certified since 1985, Cedar Valley Hospice has provided 41 years of end-of-life and palliative care to the community.
Cedar Valley Hospice serves an average of 157 patients per day, covering 85 ZIP codes across its service area. 44% of care is delivered in patients' homes, consistent with the hospice philosophy of enabling comfort care in familiar surroundings.
Cedar Valley 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 10 out of 10, a composite measure of care quality and efficiency. 20 physicians are affiliated with this hospice.
When choosing hospice care in Waterloo, IA, 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
Cedar Valley 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 Cedar Valley Hospice among the higher-rated hospice providers serving families in Waterloo, IA.
Emotional & Spiritual Support
How well the hospice team provided emotional and spiritual support
94% of caregivers gave Cedar Valley Hospice 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
96% of caregivers gave Cedar Valley 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
78% of caregivers gave Cedar Valley 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
88% of caregivers gave Cedar Valley 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 Cedar Valley 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
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
89% of caregivers gave Cedar Valley 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
94% of caregivers gave Cedar Valley 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
99.9%
Natl: 99.5%
Beliefs & Values Addressed
Patients whose beliefs and values were addressed in the plan of care
99.7%
Natl: 98.3%
Pain Screening
Patients screened for pain upon hospice admission
98.5%
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
99.9%
Natl: 99.0%
Dyspnea Treatment
Patients with dyspnea who received treatment within 24 hours
93.7%
Natl: 97.4%
Opioid Bowel Regimen
Patients on opioids who were offered a bowel regimen
99.5%
Natl: 93.2%
Composite Process Score
Composite measure of all hospice care process quality measures
91.1%
Natl: 91.6%
Hospice Care Index
Composite quality score with 10 sub-measures
Overall HCI Score
National average: 8.8/10
Cedar Valley Hospice'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.
63.6% of Cedar Valley 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
96.8%
Natl: 89.5%
Nurse Care Minutes
Average nurse care minutes per routine home care day
21.6
Natl: 13.4
Weekend Nursing
Percentage of skilled nursing minutes on weekends
9%
Natl: 9.2%
Gaps in Nursing Visits
Stays with gaps in skilled nursing visits
29.9%
Natl: 55.4%
Early Live Discharges
Patients discharged alive within 3 days
9.1%
Natl: 7.2%
Late Live Discharges
Patients discharged alive after enrollment
37.1%
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
1.4%
Natl: 2.3%
CHC/GIP Days
Continuous home care & general inpatient days as share of total
2.1%
Natl: 0.6%
Per-Beneficiary Spending
Average Medicare spending per hospice beneficiary
$12,240
Natl: $16,971
Patient Population
Primary diagnoses of hospice patients
Cedar Valley Hospice's patient population is primarily composed of individuals with cancer (30%), followed by dementia (19%), cardiovascular disease (18%), other conditions (17%), respiratory disease (10%), stroke (7%).
Care Settings
Where hospice care is delivered
Cedar Valley Hospice delivers 44% of its care in patients' homes, with 41% in nursing facility settings, 11% in assisted living settings, 2% in inpatient hospice settings, 1% in hospital 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 157 patients per day.
Patient's Home
Nursing Facility
Assisted Living
Inpatient Hospice
Hospital
Doctors at Cedar Valley Hospice
20 affiliated physicians
Dr. Jodi Bangasser, NP
Nurse Practitioner
Dr. Kaitlin Hilmer
Nurse Practitioner
Dr. Brian Sankey, DO
Family Practice
Dr. Eric Neverman, DO
Internal Medicine
Dr. Steven Scurr, DO
Family Practice
Dr. William Schmitt, DO
Family Practice
Dr. Deborah Ralston, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Eric Pitts
Physician Assistant
Dr. Jeffrey Guse
Nurse Practitioner
Dr. Jayasakthi Palaniappan, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Kurt House, DO
Family Practice
Dr. Gregory Harter, MD
Family Practice
+ 8 more physicians
Dr. Nicole Slater, NP
Nurse Practitioner
Dr. Mary Knutson, NP
Nurse Practitioner
Dr. Troy Renaud, DO
Family Practice
Dr. Geoffrey Hadlock, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Yadunath Pokharel, MD
Internal Medicine
Dr. Brent Buhr, MD
Internal Medicine
Dr. Paula Moore
Nurse Practitioner
Dr. Jack O'brien, MD
Family Practice
Patient Reviews
Reviews and ratings from patients
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Frequently Asked Questions
About Cedar Valley Hospice
What is the CMS rating for Cedar Valley Hospice?
Cedar Valley 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 Cedar Valley Hospice primarily treat?
Cedar Valley Hospice's patient population includes cancer (30%), dementia (19%), cardiovascular disease (18%), other conditions (17%), respiratory disease (10%), stroke (7%). This reflects the hospice's experience managing these conditions.
Where does Cedar Valley Hospice provide care?
Cedar Valley Hospice provides care in patient's home (44%), nursing facility (41%), assisted living (11%), inpatient hospice (2%), hospital (1%).
How large is Cedar Valley Hospice?
Cedar Valley Hospice serves an average of 157 patients per day and covers 85 ZIP codes in its service area.
How many doctors are affiliated with Cedar Valley Hospice?
20 physicians are affiliated with Cedar Valley Hospice.
Data source: CMS Hospice Compare · CAHPS Hospice Survey ·