About Essentia Health St Marys Hospice & Palliative Care
Hospice overview and quality summary
Essentia Health St Marys Hospice & Palliative Care is a nonprofit hospice care provider in Duluth, MN, serving patients and families in St. Louis County and the surrounding area. Medicare certified since 1991, Essentia Health St Marys Hospice & Palliative Care has provided 35 years of end-of-life and palliative care to the community.
Essentia Health St Marys Hospice & Palliative Care serves an average of 262 patients per day, covering 114 ZIP codes across its service area. 36% of care is delivered in patients' homes, consistent with the hospice philosophy of enabling comfort care in familiar surroundings.
CMS has assigned Essentia Health St Marys Hospice & Palliative Care a 3-star quality rating based on caregiver survey feedback, indicating average satisfaction with the hospice's care. The facility's Hospice Care Index score is 9 out of 10, a composite measure of care quality and efficiency. 2 physicians are affiliated with this hospice.
When choosing hospice care in Duluth, MN, 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
Average
CMS CAHPS Hospice Star Rating
Essentia Health St Marys Hospice & Palliative Care has received a 3-star quality rating from CMS, based on the CAHPS Hospice Survey. This average rating reflects caregiver satisfaction across communication, symptom management, timely care, and emotional support. CMS publishes these ratings to help families in Duluth, MN compare hospice providers.
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
91% of caregivers gave a top rating for treated with respect, consistent with the national average of 90%.
Help with Symptoms
How well the hospice team managed pain and other symptoms
72% 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
78% of caregivers gave a top rating for team communication, below the national average of 81%.
Getting Timely Care
Whether the patient received help as soon as it was needed
75% 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
72% of caregivers gave a top rating for training for family caregivers, below the national average of 75%.
Overall Rating (9-10)
Percentage of caregivers rating the hospice 9 or 10 out of 10
78% of caregivers gave a top rating for overall rating (9-10), below the national average of 81%.
Would Recommend
Percentage of caregivers who would definitely recommend this hospice
84% of caregivers gave a top rating for would recommend, consistent with 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
99.3%
Natl: 98.3%
Pain Screening
Patients screened for pain upon hospice admission
98.7%
Natl: 98.3%
Comprehensive Pain Assessment
Patients with pain who received a comprehensive pain assessment
98.5%
Natl: 94.8%
Dyspnea Screening
Patients screened for shortness of breath upon admission
98.7%
Natl: 99.0%
Dyspnea Treatment
Patients with dyspnea who received treatment within 24 hours
98.8%
Natl: 97.4%
Opioid Bowel Regimen
Patients on opioids who were offered a bowel regimen
99.6%
Natl: 93.2%
Composite Process Score
Composite measure of all hospice care process quality measures
95.7%
Natl: 91.6%
Hospice Care Index
Composite quality score with 10 sub-measures
Overall HCI Score
National average: 8.8/10
Essentia Health St Marys Hospice & Palliative Care'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.
68.0% of Essentia Health St Marys Hospice & Palliative Care'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
91.6%
Natl: 89.5%
Nurse Care Minutes
Average nurse care minutes per routine home care day
80
Natl: 13.4
Weekend Nursing
Percentage of skilled nursing minutes on weekends
2.7%
Natl: 9.2%
Gaps in Nursing Visits
Stays with gaps in skilled nursing visits
64.1%
Natl: 55.4%
Early Live Discharges
Patients discharged alive within 3 days
3.9%
Natl: 7.2%
Late Live Discharges
Patients discharged alive after enrollment
39%
Natl: 40%
Burdensome Transitions (Type 1)
Hospice-to-acute-care transitions near death
5%
Natl: 8%
Burdensome Transitions (Type 2)
Acute care admissions near death
1.1%
Natl: 2.3%
CHC/GIP Days
Continuous home care & general inpatient days as share of total
0.5%
Natl: 0.6%
Per-Beneficiary Spending
Average Medicare spending per hospice beneficiary
$16,577
Natl: $16,971
Patient Population
Primary diagnoses of hospice patients
Essentia Health St Marys Hospice & Palliative Care's patient population is primarily composed of individuals with cancer (30%), followed by dementia (20%), other conditions (20%), cardiovascular disease (16%), stroke (9%), respiratory disease (7%).
Care Settings
Where hospice care is delivered
Essentia Health St Marys Hospice & Palliative Care delivers 36% of its care in patients' homes, with 30% in assisted living settings, 26% in nursing facility settings, 5% in skilled nursing settings, 1% 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 262 patients per day.
Patient's Home
Assisted Living
Nursing Facility
Skilled Nursing
Inpatient Hospice
Doctors at Essentia Health St Marys Hospice & Palliative Care
2 affiliated physicians
Patient Reviews
Reviews and ratings from patients
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Frequently Asked Questions
About Essentia Health St Marys Hospice & Palliative Care
What is the CMS rating for Essentia Health St Marys Hospice & Palliative Care?
Essentia Health St Marys Hospice & Palliative Care has a 3-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 Essentia Health St Marys Hospice & Palliative Care primarily treat?
Essentia Health St Marys Hospice & Palliative Care's patient population includes cancer (30%), dementia (20%), other conditions (20%), cardiovascular disease (16%), stroke (9%), respiratory disease (7%). This reflects the hospice's experience managing these conditions.
Where does Essentia Health St Marys Hospice & Palliative Care provide care?
Essentia Health St Marys Hospice & Palliative Care provides care in patient's home (36%), assisted living (30%), nursing facility (26%), skilled nursing (5%), inpatient hospice (1%).
How large is Essentia Health St Marys Hospice & Palliative Care?
Essentia Health St Marys Hospice & Palliative Care serves an average of 262 patients per day and covers 114 ZIP codes in its service area.
How many doctors are affiliated with Essentia Health St Marys Hospice & Palliative Care?
2 physicians are affiliated with Essentia Health St Marys Hospice & Palliative Care.
Data source: CMS Hospice Compare · CAHPS Hospice Survey ·