About Summa Hospice
Hospice overview and quality summary
Summa Hospice is an hospice care provider in Akron, OH, serving patients and families in Summit County and the surrounding area. Medicare certified since 1999, Summa Hospice has provided 27 years of end-of-life and palliative care to the community.
Summa Hospice serves an average of 151 patients per day, covering 68 ZIP codes across its service area. 52% of care is delivered in patients' homes, consistent with the hospice philosophy of enabling comfort care in familiar surroundings.
CMS has assigned Summa Hospice 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 Akron, OH, 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
Summa Hospice 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 Akron, OH 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
86% of caregivers gave a top rating for treated with respect, below the national average of 90%.
Help with Symptoms
How well the hospice team managed pain and other symptoms
71% of caregivers gave a top rating for help with symptoms, below 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
74% of caregivers gave a top rating for getting timely care, below 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
77% 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
78% 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
99.9%
Natl: 99.5%
Beliefs & Values Addressed
Patients whose beliefs and values were addressed in the plan of care
99.5%
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
100.0%
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
99.5%
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
97.8%
Natl: 91.6%
Hospice Care Index
Composite quality score with 10 sub-measures
Overall HCI Score
National average: 8.8/10
Summa Hospice'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.
55.2% of Summa 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
95.9%
Natl: 89.5%
Nurse Care Minutes
Average nurse care minutes per routine home care day
18.6
Natl: 13.4
Weekend Nursing
Percentage of skilled nursing minutes on weekends
8.8%
Natl: 9.2%
Gaps in Nursing Visits
Stays with gaps in skilled nursing visits
22.6%
Natl: 55.4%
Early Live Discharges
Patients discharged alive within 3 days
18.2%
Natl: 7.2%
Late Live Discharges
Patients discharged alive after enrollment
26.4%
Natl: 40%
Burdensome Transitions (Type 1)
Hospice-to-acute-care transitions near death
11.8%
Natl: 8%
Burdensome Transitions (Type 2)
Acute care admissions near death
1.8%
Natl: 2.3%
CHC/GIP Days
Continuous home care & general inpatient days as share of total
4.9%
Natl: 0.6%
Per-Beneficiary Spending
Average Medicare spending per hospice beneficiary
$9,576
Natl: $16,971
Patient Population
Primary diagnoses of hospice patients
Summa Hospice's patient population is primarily composed of individuals with other conditions (36%), followed by cancer (26%), respiratory disease (16%), cardiovascular disease (14%), stroke (6%), dementia (3%).
Care Settings
Where hospice care is delivered
Summa Hospice delivers 52% of its care in patients' homes, with 32% in nursing facility settings, 10% in assisted living settings, 5% in hospital settings, 1% in skilled nursing settings. The hospice serves an average of 151 patients per day.
Patient's Home
Nursing Facility
Assisted Living
Hospital
Skilled Nursing
Doctors at Summa Hospice
20 affiliated physicians
Dr. Evan Howe, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Mira Patel, DO
Hospice/palliative Care
Dr. Harikrishna Choudary Ponnam, MD
Internal Medicine
Dr. Peter Katsaros, MD
Internal Medicine
Dr. Douglas Kast, DO
Internal Medicine
Dr. Themos Politis, MD
Hospice/palliative Care
Dr. Maryam Audu
Internal Medicine
Dr. Kimberly Miller, DO
Internal Medicine
Dr. Michael Schmees
Geriatric Medicine
Dr. Jonathan Vogt, DO
Internal Medicine
Dr. Danielle Ingram, MD
Hospice/palliative Care
Dr. James Phillips, MD
Internal Medicine
+ 8 more physicians
Dr. Jennifer Drost, DO
Geriatric Medicine
Dr. Brian Cain
Family Practice
Dr. Luke Hashiguchi, MD
Hospice/palliative Care
Dr. Laxmi Prasana Sakamuri
Internal Medicine
Dr. Bong Kauh, MD
Geriatric Medicine
Dr. Thomas Lehner, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Audra Krebs, MD
Geriatric Medicine
Dr. Justin Ferrel, MD
Hospice/palliative Care
Patient Reviews
Reviews and ratings from patients
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Frequently Asked Questions
About Summa Hospice
What is the CMS rating for Summa Hospice?
Summa Hospice 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 Summa Hospice primarily treat?
Summa Hospice's patient population includes other conditions (36%), cancer (26%), respiratory disease (16%), cardiovascular disease (14%), stroke (6%), dementia (3%). This reflects the hospice's experience managing these conditions.
Where does Summa Hospice provide care?
Summa Hospice provides care in patient's home (52%), nursing facility (32%), assisted living (10%), hospital (5%), skilled nursing (1%).
How large is Summa Hospice?
Summa Hospice serves an average of 151 patients per day and covers 68 ZIP codes in its service area.
How many doctors are affiliated with Summa Hospice?
20 physicians are affiliated with Summa Hospice.
Data source: CMS Hospice Compare · CAHPS Hospice Survey ·