About Community Hospice
Hospice overview and quality summary
Community Hospice is a nonprofit hospice care provider in Ashland, KY, serving patients and families in Boyd County and the surrounding area. Medicare certified since 1983, Community Hospice has provided 43 years of end-of-life and palliative care to the community.
Community Hospice serves an average of 118 patients per day, covering 68 ZIP codes across its service area. 67% of care is delivered in patients' homes, consistent with the hospice philosophy of enabling comfort care in familiar surroundings.
Community 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. 12 physicians are affiliated with this hospice.
When choosing hospice care in Ashland, KY, 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
Community 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 Community Hospice among the higher-rated hospice providers serving families in Ashland, KY.
Emotional & Spiritual Support
How well the hospice team provided emotional and spiritual support
92% 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
95% of caregivers gave Community 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
82% of caregivers gave Community 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 Community 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 Community 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
79% of caregivers gave Community 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
89% of caregivers gave Community 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
92% of caregivers gave Community 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
99.1%
Natl: 99.5%
Beliefs & Values Addressed
Patients whose beliefs and values were addressed in the plan of care
97.5%
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
93.6%
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
98.9%
Natl: 97.4%
Opioid Bowel Regimen
Patients on opioids who were offered a bowel regimen
96.8%
Natl: 93.2%
Composite Process Score
Composite measure of all hospice care process quality measures
92.9%
Natl: 91.6%
Hospice Care Index
Composite quality score with 10 sub-measures
Overall HCI Score
National average: 8.8/10
Community 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.
51.4% of Community Hospice's patients received visits from the hospice team in their final days of life, consistent with the national average of 47.9%. Presence during the final days reflects the hospice's commitment to supporting families when it matters most.
Visits Near Death
Patients with visits in last 3 days of life
92.3%
Natl: 89.5%
Nurse Care Minutes
Average nurse care minutes per routine home care day
14.6
Natl: 13.4
Weekend Nursing
Percentage of skilled nursing minutes on weekends
8.4%
Natl: 9.2%
Gaps in Nursing Visits
Stays with gaps in skilled nursing visits
66.8%
Natl: 55.4%
Early Live Discharges
Patients discharged alive within 3 days
15.8%
Natl: 7.2%
Late Live Discharges
Patients discharged alive after enrollment
43.3%
Natl: 40%
Burdensome Transitions (Type 1)
Hospice-to-acute-care transitions near death
1.7%
Natl: 8%
Burdensome Transitions (Type 2)
Acute care admissions near death
1.7%
Natl: 2.3%
CHC/GIP Days
Continuous home care & general inpatient days as share of total
3.3%
Natl: 0.6%
Per-Beneficiary Spending
Average Medicare spending per hospice beneficiary
$10,244
Natl: $16,971
Patient Population
Primary diagnoses of hospice patients
Community Hospice's patient population is primarily composed of individuals with cancer (27%), followed by respiratory disease (18%), other conditions (17%), cardiovascular disease (16%), dementia (12%), stroke (11%).
Care Settings
Where hospice care is delivered
Community Hospice delivers 67% of its care in patients' homes, with 21% in nursing facility settings, 8% in assisted living settings, 4% in inpatient hospice settings. The hospice serves an average of 118 patients per day.
Patient's Home
Nursing Facility
Assisted Living
Inpatient Hospice
Doctors at Community Hospice
12 affiliated physicians
Dr. Timothy Hart, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Katherine Carias, MD
Allergy/immunology
Dr. Melinda Elkins-smith, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Rancie Hannah, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Kari Shields, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Derek Jones, DO
Family Practice
Dr. Jason Rice, DO
Family Practice
Dr. Abbe Cassity, DO
Family Practice
Dr. Jackie Kazee, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Angela Lewis, DO
Family Practice
Dr. James Detherage, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Jeremy Klein, MD
Family Practice
Patient Reviews
Reviews and ratings from patients
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Frequently Asked Questions
About Community Hospice
What is the CMS rating for Community Hospice?
Community 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 Community Hospice primarily treat?
Community Hospice's patient population includes cancer (27%), respiratory disease (18%), other conditions (17%), cardiovascular disease (16%), dementia (12%), stroke (11%). This reflects the hospice's experience managing these conditions.
Where does Community Hospice provide care?
Community Hospice provides care in patient's home (67%), nursing facility (21%), assisted living (8%), inpatient hospice (4%).
How large is Community Hospice?
Community Hospice serves an average of 118 patients per day and covers 68 ZIP codes in its service area.
How many doctors are affiliated with Community Hospice?
12 physicians are affiliated with Community Hospice.
Data source: CMS Hospice Compare · CAHPS Hospice Survey ·