Lower Cape Fear LifeCare

What Lower Cape Fear LifeCare does

Lower Cape Fear LifeCare is a non-profit hospice and palliative care organization founded in 1980 and headquartered in Wilmington, North Carolina. It delivers a continuum of advanced illness care across nine counties in southeastern North Carolina and northeastern South Carolina, serving more than 6,000 families annually and caring for 1,000+ patients daily through a 400+ staff workforce. The service portfolio includes hospice care for patients with a life expectancy of six months or less, palliative medicine for patients with serious illness at any stage, Memory Partners dementia support, grief and bereavement services, We Honor Veterans programming, advance care planning, and home health.

Care is delivered through an interdisciplinary team (physician, nurse, aide, social worker, chaplain, and volunteer) wherever the patient calls home, with approximately 95% of hospice services provided in home-based settings and the remainder routed through three exclusive inpatient hospice care centers in New Hanover, Brunswick, and Columbus Counties. Outpatient palliative care is delivered through a free-standing palliative medicine clinic and partnership-based clinics in Onslow County (with Wilmington Health) and Robeson County (with UNC Health Southeastern). Telehealth is used to extend palliative care visits. The organization holds ACHC accreditation and a Five-Star Medicare hospice rating (top 8% nationally).

The revenue model blends fee-for-service reimbursements from Medicare Hospice Benefit, Medicaid Hospice Benefit, and private insurance with charitable contributions, grants, and foundation fundraising events. As a 501(c)(3), the organization provides charity care and does not refuse patients based on ability to pay. Patient acquisition is community-led: referrals come from families, physicians, hospitals, and self-referrals via a centralized help center, supported by embedded referral relationships with regional health systems. Recent strategic activity has focused on extending palliative care clinics into new counties, expanding dementia support through the Memory Partners program funded by a $5.1M Endowment grant, and a leadership transition in April 2026 with Karen Brubaker Miller becoming the fourth CEO in the organization's history.

Name

Lower Cape Fear LifeCare

Legal name

Lower Cape Fear Hospice, Inc.

Website

https://lifecare.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Non-profit hospice and palliative care provider founded in 1980, serving nine counties across southeastern North Carolina and northeastern South Carolina, delivering hospice, palliative medicine, dementia, grief, and veteran programs to over 6,000 families annually through home-based and inpatient care.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospice and Palliative Care Services

NAICS

Home Health Care Services (62161), Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly (62331), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

Services-Home Health Care Services (8082), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Home Hospice Agencies (HLAFAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Routine In-Home Hospice Care (HSABAFAA), Non-Hospice Serious-Illness / Community-Based Palliative Care (In-Home) (HSABAFAF), Hospice Care in Assisted Living / Residential Care Facilities (HLADAHAE), Palliative Care, Hospice & Serious Illness Support (BPAGACAK)

Keywords

• Hospice care services
• Palliative medicine
• End-of-life care
• Bereavement support
• Dementia care programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilmington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Medicare Hospice Benefit: Primary revenue source covering hospice care for Medicare beneficiaries. All expenses including care, medications, medical equipment, and supplies are covered. Patients must have a life expectancy of six months or less.
2. Medicaid Hospice Benefit: State-administered hospice coverage for eligible individuals.
3. Private Insurance: Most private insurance plans include hospice benefit coverage.
4. Donations and Grants: Nonprofit foundation receives donations, memorial gifts, and grants to support programs and services not covered by reimbursement sources. Major grants include $5.1M from The Endowment and $300K from Live Oak Bank over 3 years for LifeCare Scholars.
5. Charity Care: As a nonprofit, no patient is ever refused care based on ability to pay. Uncompensated care is provided to ensure access.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Lower Cape Fear LifeCare is a nonprofit hospice and palliative care provider delivering an integrated continuum of services for patients with serious or life-limiting illnesses across southeastern North Carolina and northeastern South Carolina. Offerings include hospice care, palliative medicine, Memory Partners dementia support, grief/bereavement services, veteran-specific programs, advance care planning, home health, and three exclusive inpatient hospice care centers, plus outpatient palliative clinics.

Product overview

Lower Cape Fear LifeCare is a nonprofit hospice and palliative care organization providing a spectrum of healthcare services through multiple integrated programs. The core offerings include Hospice Care for patients with terminal illnesses (life expectancy of six months or less), Palliative Medicine for those with serious illnesses at any stage, and specialized programs including Memory Partners Dementia Care, Grief Care, Veterans Services, Advance Care Planning, Home Health, and Care Centers. The organization also operates supportive programming such as LifeCare Scholars (workforce development) and Bucket List Wishes. Services are provided across southeastern North Carolina and northeastern South Carolina, serving patients wherever they call home.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hospice Care
• Palliative Medicine
• Memory Partners Dementia Care
• Grief Care / Bereavement Support
• Veterans Services (We Honor Veterans)
• Advance Care Planning
• Home Health
• Inpatient Hospice Care Centers

Quantifiable outcome

• Serve over 6,000 families annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Wilmington HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2025Partnership to open an outpatient palliative care clinic in Onslow County, located within Wilmington Health's Jacksonville office. Provides expert palliative care services to patients in the region.
• UNC Health SoutheasterncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership to launch a palliative care clinic in Lumberton, NC (Robeson County). First-of-its-kind clinic in Robeson County, initially operating one half-day per week with plans to expand. Services include symptom management, emotional/spiritual support, and guidance for complex medical decisions. Also extends to patients' homes and via telehealth.
• New Hanover Regional Medical CentercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTrusted healthcare partner providing palliative care to patients. Referral relationship for hospice services.
• Novant Health Brunswick Medical CentercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReferral partner for hospice and palliative care services in Brunswick County.
• Columbus Regional Healthcare SystemcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReferral partner for hospice and palliative care services in Columbus County.
• First Citizens BankmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor for Jingle & Joy Gala and Diamond sponsor for White Pants Gala.
• Novant HealthmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerDiamond sponsor for White Pants Gala. Memory Dove Tree sponsor for Jingle & Joy Gala.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Trellis Supportive Care: North Carolina-based nonprofit hospice and palliative care organization serving the greater Charlotte region. Closely comparable as a multi-county NC nonprofit hospice with inpatient facilities, palliative care programs, and similar funding/grant-backed operating model.
• Hospice of the Piedmont: Nonprofit hospice serving central North Carolina with inpatient care center, palliative medicine, and grief support. Comparable in nonprofit structure, multi-program offering, and regional Carolinas service footprint.
• Four Seasons (Flat Rock): Western NC nonprofit hospice and palliative care provider with hospice house, palliative services, and community programs - comparable nonprofit model with similar service breadth and Carolinas region presence.
• Liberty HomeCare & Hospice: Carolinas-focused home health and hospice provider operating across NC and SC. Comparable direct service delivery model in the same southeast regional footprint with hospice, palliative, and home health offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Amedisys Hospice: Large national hospice and home health operator with significant presence across the Carolinas. Comparable hospice service line but operates as a broad for-profit incumbent with national scale rather than a regional nonprofit.
• Gentiva Hospice: National hospice and palliative care chain (formerly Kindred at Home/Curo) operating across the Southeast. Provides overlapping hospice and palliative services but as part of a wider national portfolio and for-profit structure.
• Compassus Hospice and Palliative Care: National hospice, palliative, and home health provider with locations across the Southeast U.S. Overlaps on core hospice service model and palliative care offering but at broader national scale.
• VITAS Healthcare (Chemed): Largest U.S. hospice provider with extensive hospice and palliative services, including home and inpatient hospice. Comparable service line but operates as a national for-profit incumbent within the same care category.

Emerging players

• Aveanna Healthcare Hospice: National home health and hospice operator with growing palliative and hospice footprint, including presence in the Carolinas. Comparable services with overlap on hospice care delivery but with broader pediatric/adult home health focus.

Others

• National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization: Industry trade association that runs the We Honor Veterans program (in which Lower Cape Fear LifeCare is a Level 4 Partner). Not a competitor but a directly relevant ecosystem entity governing the hospice space in which the subject company operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCJ7K84Z5LZ-nQMeEnpg5-hA
• Facebookfacebook.com/LCFLifeCare
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lower-cape-fear-lifecare
• Instagraminstagram.com/lcflifecare
• TikToktiktok.com/@lowercapefearlifecare
• Xx.com/lcflifecare

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lower Cape Fear LifeCare