About Northern Illinois Hospice
Hospice overview and quality summary
Northern Illinois Hospice is a nonprofit hospice care provider in Rockford, IL, serving patients and families in Winnebago County and the surrounding area. Medicare certified since 1988, Northern Illinois Hospice has provided 38 years of end-of-life and palliative care to the community.
Northern Illinois Hospice serves an average of 127 patients per day, covering 54 ZIP codes across its service area. 56% of care is delivered in patients' homes, consistent with the hospice philosophy of enabling comfort care in familiar surroundings.
Northern Illinois Hospice 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. 10 physicians are affiliated with this hospice.
When choosing hospice care in Rockford, IL, 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
Northern Illinois Hospice 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 Northern Illinois Hospice among the higher-rated hospice providers serving families in Rockford, IL.
Emotional & Spiritual Support
How well the hospice team provided emotional and spiritual support
89% 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
92% 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
74% 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
80% of caregivers gave Northern Illinois 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
78% of caregivers gave Northern Illinois 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
81% of caregivers gave a top rating for overall rating (9-10), consistent with the national average of 81%.
Would Recommend
Percentage of caregivers who would definitely recommend this hospice
86% 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
99.8%
Natl: 99.5%
Beliefs & Values Addressed
Patients whose beliefs and values were addressed in the plan of care
99.8%
Natl: 98.3%
Pain Screening
Patients screened for pain upon hospice admission
99.5%
Natl: 98.3%
Comprehensive Pain Assessment
Patients with pain who received a comprehensive pain assessment
99.7%
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
99.2%
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
98.7%
Natl: 91.6%
Hospice Care Index
Composite quality score with 10 sub-measures
Overall HCI Score
National average: 8.8/10
Northern Illinois 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.
67.3% of Northern Illinois 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
94.4%
Natl: 89.5%
Nurse Care Minutes
Average nurse care minutes per routine home care day
12.1
Natl: 13.4
Weekend Nursing
Percentage of skilled nursing minutes on weekends
9.6%
Natl: 9.2%
Gaps in Nursing Visits
Stays with gaps in skilled nursing visits
60.7%
Natl: 55.4%
Early Live Discharges
Patients discharged alive within 3 days
8%
Natl: 7.2%
Late Live Discharges
Patients discharged alive after enrollment
33.3%
Natl: 40%
Burdensome Transitions (Type 1)
Hospice-to-acute-care transitions near death
11.5%
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
0.1%
Natl: 0.6%
Per-Beneficiary Spending
Average Medicare spending per hospice beneficiary
$14,558
Natl: $16,971
Patient Population
Primary diagnoses of hospice patients
Northern Illinois Hospice's patient population is primarily composed of individuals with cancer (31%), followed by other conditions (22%), cardiovascular disease (17%), dementia (15%), respiratory disease (10%), stroke (9%). 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
Northern Illinois Hospice delivers 56% of its care in patients' homes, with 22% in nursing facility settings, 19% in assisted living settings, 1% in skilled nursing settings. The hospice serves an average of 127 patients per day.
Patient's Home
Nursing Facility
Assisted Living
Skilled Nursing
Doctors at Northern Illinois Hospice
10 affiliated physicians
Dr. Lauren Ives, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Thomas Michalsen, DO
General Practice
Dr. Terry Miller, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Syed Ghani, MD
Internal Medicine
Dr. Michael Nabolotny, MD
Internal Medicine
Dr. Asad Shah, MD
Internal Medicine
Dr. Erik Englehart, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Harneet Gahley, MD
Hospice/palliative Care
Dr. Dhaval Thakkar, MD
Internal Medicine
Dr. Vasil Nika, MD
Family Practice
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Reviews and ratings from patients
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Frequently Asked Questions
About Northern Illinois Hospice
What is the CMS rating for Northern Illinois Hospice?
Northern Illinois Hospice 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 Northern Illinois Hospice primarily treat?
Northern Illinois Hospice's patient population includes cancer (31%), other conditions (22%), cardiovascular disease (17%), dementia (15%), respiratory disease (10%), stroke (9%). This reflects the hospice's experience managing these conditions.
Where does Northern Illinois Hospice provide care?
Northern Illinois Hospice provides care in patient's home (56%), nursing facility (22%), assisted living (19%), skilled nursing (1%).
How large is Northern Illinois Hospice?
Northern Illinois Hospice serves an average of 127 patients per day and covers 54 ZIP codes in its service area.
How many doctors are affiliated with Northern Illinois Hospice?
10 physicians are affiliated with Northern Illinois Hospice.
Data source: CMS Hospice Compare · CAHPS Hospice Survey ·