About Saint Mary's Hospice Services
Hospice overview and quality summary
Saint Mary's Hospice Services is a nonprofit hospice care provider in Watkinsville, GA, serving patients and families in Oconee County and the surrounding area. Medicare certified since 1991, Saint Mary's Hospice Services has provided 35 years of end-of-life and palliative care to the community.
Saint Mary's Hospice Services serves an average of 58 patients per day, covering 59 ZIP codes across its service area. 86% of care is delivered in patients' homes, consistent with the hospice philosophy of enabling comfort care in familiar surroundings.
CMS has assigned Saint Mary's Hospice Services 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. 1 physicians are affiliated with this hospice.
When choosing hospice care in Watkinsville, GA, 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
Saint Mary's Hospice Services 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 Watkinsville, GA compare hospice providers.
Emotional & Spiritual Support
How well the hospice team provided emotional and spiritual support
88% 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
90% 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
81% 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
79% 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
76% 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
83% 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
88% of caregivers gave Saint Mary's Hospice Services 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
99.7%
Natl: 98.3%
Pain Screening
Patients screened for pain upon hospice admission
99.0%
Natl: 98.3%
Comprehensive Pain Assessment
Patients with pain who received a comprehensive pain assessment
99.3%
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
94.5%
Natl: 93.2%
Composite Process Score
Composite measure of all hospice care process quality measures
97.0%
Natl: 91.6%
Hospice Care Index
Composite quality score with 10 sub-measures
Overall HCI Score
National average: 8.8/10
Saint Mary's Hospice Services'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.
64.7% of Saint Mary's Hospice Services'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
94.3%
Natl: 89.5%
Nurse Care Minutes
Average nurse care minutes per routine home care day
13.4
Natl: 13.4
Weekend Nursing
Percentage of skilled nursing minutes on weekends
14%
Natl: 9.2%
Gaps in Nursing Visits
Stays with gaps in skilled nursing visits
44.2%
Natl: 55.4%
Early Live Discharges
Patients discharged alive within 3 days
7.8%
Natl: 7.2%
Late Live Discharges
Patients discharged alive after enrollment
24.7%
Natl: 40%
Burdensome Transitions (Type 1)
Hospice-to-acute-care transitions near death
14.3%
Natl: 8%
Burdensome Transitions (Type 2)
Acute care admissions near death
5.2%
Natl: 2.3%
CHC/GIP Days
Continuous home care & general inpatient days as share of total
1.8%
Natl: 0.6%
Per-Beneficiary Spending
Average Medicare spending per hospice beneficiary
$10,906
Natl: $16,971
Patient Population
Primary diagnoses of hospice patients
Saint Mary's Hospice Services's patient population is primarily composed of individuals with cardiovascular disease (26%), followed by cancer (22%), dementia (17%), other conditions (17%), respiratory disease (14%), stroke (7%).
Care Settings
Where hospice care is delivered
Saint Mary's Hospice Services delivers 86% of its care in patients' homes, with 12% in assisted living settings, 1% in hospital settings. The high proportion of home-based care aligns with the hospice philosophy of enabling patients to receive comfort care in familiar surroundings with family nearby. The hospice serves an average of 58 patients per day.
Patient's Home
Assisted Living
Hospital
Doctors at Saint Mary's Hospice Services
1 affiliated physicians
Patient Reviews
Reviews and ratings from patients
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Frequently Asked Questions
About Saint Mary's Hospice Services
What is the CMS rating for Saint Mary's Hospice Services?
Saint Mary's Hospice Services 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 Saint Mary's Hospice Services primarily treat?
Saint Mary's Hospice Services's patient population includes cardiovascular disease (26%), cancer (22%), dementia (17%), other conditions (17%), respiratory disease (14%), stroke (7%). This reflects the hospice's experience managing these conditions.
Where does Saint Mary's Hospice Services provide care?
Saint Mary's Hospice Services provides care in patient's home (86%), assisted living (12%), hospital (1%).
How large is Saint Mary's Hospice Services?
Saint Mary's Hospice Services serves an average of 58 patients per day and covers 59 ZIP codes in its service area.
How many doctors are affiliated with Saint Mary's Hospice Services?
1 physicians are affiliated with Saint Mary's Hospice Services.
Data source: CMS Hospice Compare · CAHPS Hospice Survey ·