About Penn Highlands Community Nurses
Hospice overview and quality summary
Penn Highlands Community Nurses is a nonprofit hospice care provider in Saint Marys, PA, serving patients and families in Elk County and the surrounding area. Medicare certified since 1992, Penn Highlands Community Nurses has provided 34 years of end-of-life and palliative care to the community.
Penn Highlands Community Nurses serves an average of 63 patients per day, covering 59 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.
Penn Highlands Community Nurses 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 9 out of 10, a composite measure of care quality and efficiency. 20 physicians are affiliated with this hospice.
When choosing hospice care in Saint Marys, PA, 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
Penn Highlands Community Nurses 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 Penn Highlands Community Nurses among the higher-rated hospice providers serving families in Saint Marys, PA.
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
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
76% 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
85% of caregivers gave Penn Highlands Community Nurses 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
82% of caregivers gave Penn Highlands Community Nurses 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
81% of caregivers gave Penn Highlands Community Nurses 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 Penn Highlands Community Nurses 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
89% of caregivers gave Penn Highlands Community Nurses 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
100.0%
Natl: 98.3%
Comprehensive Pain Assessment
Patients with pain who received a comprehensive pain assessment
98.3%
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
99.3%
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
Penn Highlands Community Nurses'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.
69.1% of Penn Highlands Community Nurses'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
93.8%
Natl: 89.5%
Nurse Care Minutes
Average nurse care minutes per routine home care day
19.2
Natl: 13.4
Weekend Nursing
Percentage of skilled nursing minutes on weekends
5.5%
Natl: 9.2%
Gaps in Nursing Visits
Stays with gaps in skilled nursing visits
9.4%
Natl: 55.4%
Early Live Discharges
Patients discharged alive within 3 days
13.2%
Natl: 7.2%
Late Live Discharges
Patients discharged alive after enrollment
28.9%
Natl: 40%
Burdensome Transitions (Type 1)
Hospice-to-acute-care transitions near death
7.9%
Natl: 8%
Burdensome Transitions (Type 2)
Acute care admissions near death
10.5%
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
$11,919
Natl: $16,971
Patient Population
Primary diagnoses of hospice patients
Penn Highlands Community Nurses's patient population is primarily composed of individuals with cancer (32%), followed by cardiovascular disease (23%), dementia (20%), other conditions (16%), respiratory disease (7%). 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
Penn Highlands Community Nurses delivers 67% of its care in patients' homes, with 17% in nursing facility settings, 13% in assisted living settings, 3% in hospital settings. The hospice serves an average of 63 patients per day.
Patient's Home
Nursing Facility
Assisted Living
Hospital
Doctors at Penn Highlands Community Nurses
20 affiliated physicians
Dr. Gregory Sachs, DO
Family Practice
Dr. Thomas Baker, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Jennifer Zeitler, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Zoe Hawkins, DO
Family Practice
Dr. Purvi Parekh, MD
Internal Medicine
Dr. Eric Peck, DO
Family Practice
Dr. Karrie Kiskaddon, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Victor Lahnovych, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Steven Graeca, DO
Internal Medicine
Dr. James Devlin, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Thomas Sneeringer, DO
Family Practice
Dr. Nico Roscoe, MD
Family Practice
+ 8 more physicians
Dr. Hazem Elkassas, MD
Hematology/oncology
Dr. Amy Kelly, DO
Family Practice
Dr. James Obryon, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Amanda Chamberlin, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Janice Semeyn, DO
Physician Assistant
Dr. Kara Kozloski, DO
Family Practice
Dr. Timothy Kennedy, DO
Family Practice
Dr. Alexis Zimmerman, DO
Family Practice
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Frequently Asked Questions
About Penn Highlands Community Nurses
What is the CMS rating for Penn Highlands Community Nurses?
Penn Highlands Community Nurses 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 Penn Highlands Community Nurses primarily treat?
Penn Highlands Community Nurses's patient population includes cancer (32%), cardiovascular disease (23%), dementia (20%), other conditions (16%), respiratory disease (7%). This reflects the hospice's experience managing these conditions.
Where does Penn Highlands Community Nurses provide care?
Penn Highlands Community Nurses provides care in patient's home (67%), nursing facility (17%), assisted living (13%), hospital (3%).
How large is Penn Highlands Community Nurses?
Penn Highlands Community Nurses serves an average of 63 patients per day and covers 59 ZIP codes in its service area.
How many doctors are affiliated with Penn Highlands Community Nurses?
20 physicians are affiliated with Penn Highlands Community Nurses.
Data source: CMS Hospice Compare · CAHPS Hospice Survey ·