About St Lukes Hospice Duluth
Hospice overview and quality summary
St Lukes Hospice Duluth is a nonprofit hospice care provider in Duluth, MN, serving patients and families in St. Louis County and the surrounding area. Medicare certified since 1992, St Lukes Hospice Duluth has provided 34 years of end-of-life and palliative care to the community.
St Lukes Hospice Duluth serves an average of 64 patients per day, covering 49 ZIP codes across its service area. 39% of care is delivered in patients' homes, consistent with the hospice philosophy of enabling comfort care in familiar surroundings.
CMS has assigned St Lukes Hospice Duluth 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. 20 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
St Lukes Hospice Duluth 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
88% 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
75% 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
74% 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
73% 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
75% 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
79% of caregivers gave a top rating for would recommend, below 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
98.7%
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
99.1%
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
96.7%
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
94.9%
Natl: 91.6%
Hospice Care Index
Composite quality score with 10 sub-measures
Overall HCI Score
National average: 8.8/10
St Lukes Hospice Duluth'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.
65.6% of St Lukes Hospice Duluth'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
95.4%
Natl: 89.5%
Nurse Care Minutes
Average nurse care minutes per routine home care day
15.8
Natl: 13.4
Weekend Nursing
Percentage of skilled nursing minutes on weekends
8.2%
Natl: 9.2%
Gaps in Nursing Visits
Stays with gaps in skilled nursing visits
29.4%
Natl: 55.4%
Early Live Discharges
Patients discharged alive within 3 days
20%
Natl: 7.2%
Late Live Discharges
Patients discharged alive after enrollment
32%
Natl: 40%
Burdensome Transitions (Type 1)
Hospice-to-acute-care transitions near death
4%
Natl: 8%
Burdensome Transitions (Type 2)
Acute care admissions near death
0%
Natl: 2.3%
CHC/GIP Days
Continuous home care & general inpatient days as share of total
2.8%
Natl: 0.6%
Per-Beneficiary Spending
Average Medicare spending per hospice beneficiary
$11,960
Natl: $16,971
Patient Population
Primary diagnoses of hospice patients
St Lukes Hospice Duluth's patient population is primarily composed of individuals with cancer (27%), followed by other conditions (24%), cardiovascular disease (15%), respiratory disease (13%), dementia (12%), stroke (9%).
Care Settings
Where hospice care is delivered
St Lukes Hospice Duluth delivers 39% of its care in patients' homes, with 30% in nursing facility settings, 27% in assisted living settings, 4% in hospital 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 64 patients per day.
Patient's Home
Nursing Facility
Assisted Living
Hospital
Doctors at St Lukes Hospice Duluth
20 affiliated physicians
Dr. Megan Hoel, DO
Family Practice
Dr. Timothy Kufahl, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Peter Wodrich, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Zachary Lundstrom, MD
Internal Medicine
Dr. Eric Enberg, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Lucas Henningsen, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Kimberly Hunt
Nurse Practitioner
Dr. Timothy Kleinschmidt, MD
Internal Medicine
Dr. Eric Hanhan, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Ghori Khan, MD
Internal Medicine
Dr. Robert Hoerr
Internal Medicine
Dr. Matthew Penning, MD
Family Practice
+ 8 more physicians
Dr. Kelly Mckinnon, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Timothy Lamaster, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Cassandra Morsette, NP
Nurse Practitioner
Dr. Umar Siddiqui, MD
Internal Medicine
Dr. Kelsey Schultz, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Theresa Starkey, MD
Hospitalist
Dr. Nichole Schaefer, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Paul Sanford, MD
Internal Medicine
Patient Reviews
Reviews and ratings from patients
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Frequently Asked Questions
About St Lukes Hospice Duluth
What is the CMS rating for St Lukes Hospice Duluth?
St Lukes Hospice Duluth 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 St Lukes Hospice Duluth primarily treat?
St Lukes Hospice Duluth's patient population includes cancer (27%), other conditions (24%), cardiovascular disease (15%), respiratory disease (13%), dementia (12%), stroke (9%). This reflects the hospice's experience managing these conditions.
Where does St Lukes Hospice Duluth provide care?
St Lukes Hospice Duluth provides care in patient's home (39%), nursing facility (30%), assisted living (27%), hospital (4%).
How large is St Lukes Hospice Duluth?
St Lukes Hospice Duluth serves an average of 64 patients per day and covers 49 ZIP codes in its service area.
How many doctors are affiliated with St Lukes Hospice Duluth?
20 physicians are affiliated with St Lukes Hospice Duluth.
Data source: CMS Hospice Compare · CAHPS Hospice Survey ·