What The Elizabeth Hospice does

The Elizabeth Hospice is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit hospice organization founded in 1978 and headquartered in Escondido, California, that provides hospice care, palliative care, and grief support services to patients and families across San Diego County and Southwest Riverside County. Its service portfolio includes adult hospice care, AHA-certified cardiac hospice, We Honor Veterans Level 5 veteran hospice care, perinatal hospice support, pediatric hospice care, and a children's bereavement practice that the organization describes as the only one of its kind in the two-county region. The organization also runs a complementary therapy program (Reiki, pet therapy, aromatherapy) and a pet-care service (Pawsitive Pet Connect) for housebound hospice patients.

Service delivery is organized around four physical offices (Escondido corporate headquarters, Carlsbad, San Diego/Mission Valley, Temecula), in-home clinical care for adult and pediatric patients wherever they reside, and dedicated 24/7 phone access (800.797.2050) with separate intake lines for palliative care, grief support, and pediatric/perinatal referrals. The clinical workforce is staffed by board-certified palliative physicians, specialty-certified nurse practitioners, registered nurses, social workers, spiritual counselors, and trained volunteers, and is supported by an academic pipeline through fellowships and required clerkships jointly run with UCSD School of Medicine, UCSD Health, Scripps Health, and the Family Medicine Residency Program of Southwest Healthcare Medical Education Consortium.

The business model is hybrid and standard for a US nonprofit hospice. Clinical care is reimbursed primarily through Medicare, Medi-Cal, VA, and commercial insurance per-diem hospice benefits, which cover nursing, physician visits, medications, supplies, and equipment related to the terminal illness, with most patients paying no out-of-pocket cost. A second funding stream is philanthropic — charitable donations from individuals, foundations (including a decade-long Rob Benzon Dan Ferbal Foundation commitment to Camp Spero), corporate sponsors, planned/legacy gifts, stock and vehicle donations, and volunteer fundraising events. As a 501(c)(3), the organization provides care regardless of ability to pay. It does not raise equity capital, has no parent company or subsidiaries, and discloses no revenue figures; accreditation is held from The Joint Commission (Gold Seal of Approval), the We Honor Veterans program (Level 5 Partner), the American Heart Association (cardiac care), and Charity Navigator (4-star rating).

Name

The Elizabeth Hospice

Legal name

The Elizabeth Hospice, Inc.

Website

https://elizabethhospice.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Elizabeth Hospice is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1978 that delivers adult and pediatric hospice care, palliative care, and grief support to patients and families across San Diego County and Southwest Riverside County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospice and Palliative Care

NAICS

Home Health Care Services (62161), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

Services-Home Health Care Services (8082), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Home Hospice Agencies (HLAFAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pediatric Hospice & Palliative Care (HLADAHAI), Bereavement, Grief & Family Support Services (Hospice-Linked) (HLAFAEAO), Hospice Care in Assisted Living / Residential Care Facilities (HLADAHAE), Hospice Care in Nursing Facilities (SNF/NH Hospice) (HLADAHAD), Palliative Care, Hospice & Serious Illness Support (BPAGACAK)

Keywords

• Hospice care
• Palliative care
• Grief counseling
• End-of-life care
• Bereavement support

Headquarters

HQ city

Escondido

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Insurance Reimbursement: Hospice care is an elected benefit of most insurance plans including Medicare, Medi-Cal, VA. Coverage includes clinical staff visits, medications, medical supplies, and home equipment related to the terminal illness. Most often there is no cost to the patient.
2. Charitable Donations: 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization relying on donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations. Accepts one-time donations, monthly/quarterly automatic donations, stock/bonds/securities donations, and vehicle donations.
3. Legacy Gifts: Planned giving and legacy gift arrangements that provide future support to the organization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Elizabeth Hospice provides hospice, palliative care, and grief support services for children and adults facing advanced serious illness in San Diego County and Southwest Riverside County. Core services include adult and pediatric hospice care with home-based delivery, AHA-certified cardiac hospice care, veteran-focused care (We Honor Veterans Level 5 Partner), perinatal hospice support, palliative care, and comprehensive grief counseling including adult support groups and the only Children's Bereavement Program in the region (with Camp Spero). Services are delivered by board-certified physicians, nurse practitioners, social workers, and trained volunteers, primarily funded by Medicare/Medi-Cal/VA insurance reimbursements and charitable donations, with care provided regardless of ability to pay.

Product overview

The Elizabeth Hospice offers a comprehensive suite of hospice, palliative care, and grief support services as a nonprofit organization serving San Diego and Southwest Riverside Counties since 1978. The core service portfolio includes Adult Hospice Care with AHA-Certified Cardiac Care specialization, Palliative Care for chronic illness management, Pediatric Hospice Care with Perinatal Program support, and extensive Grief Support services centered around The Center for Compassionate Care™. The grief support offerings span Adult Grief Support groups, the Children's Bereavement Program (including Camp Spero summer camp), and integrative therapies like Reiki, pet therapy, and aromatherapy. The organization also provides specialized Veteran Hospice Care with We Honor Veterans Level 5 Partnership certification, and End of Life Option Act support. All services are provided regardless of ability to pay, with the organization accredited by The Joint Commission.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Center for Compassionate Care™: A program of The Elizabeth Hospice that provides grief counseling services to the community.

Products and services

• Adult Hospice Care Comprehensive hospice care for adults with life-limiting illnesses, delivered wherever the patient resides (home, assisted living, or residential facility). Includes expert pain management, symptom relief, therapy services, spiritual support, and 24/7 on-call clinical specialists.
• AHA-Certified Cardiac Care Specialized hospice and palliative care for heart failure patients, certified by the American Heart Association based on the latest evidence-based guidelines. Provided to address fatigue, pain, shortness of breath, symptom management, preparedness planning, and family caregiver support for cardiac patients.
• Veteran Hospice Care Specialized hospice care for veterans recognized as We Honor Veterans Level 5 Partner (highest distinction). Includes veteran pinning ceremonies, a Veteran-to-Veteran volunteer program, and staff trained to address PTSD, depression, anxiety, survivor's guilt, and soul injury related to military service.
• Pediatric Hospice Care Hospice care for children with serious medical conditions including cancer, heart conditions, neurological disorders, and complications of prematurity. Services include in-person and telehealth visits, medication delivery, Child Life Specialists, expressive therapies, and concurrent care during ongoing curative treatment.
• Perinatal Program Comprehensive support program for families who choose to continue pregnancy after a serious prenatal diagnosis, including birth planning, emotional support, and concurrent hospice care for newborns at home, offered at no cost to families.
• End of Life Option Act Support Patient education and support for California's End of Life Option Act, helping patients understand all legal end-of-life options while providing hospice care concurrently.
• Palliative Care Specialized medical care for people with serious illnesses at any phase, focused on relief from symptoms and stress, provided alongside curative treatment. Delivered by a multidisciplinary team of board-certified physicians, nurse practitioners, and social workers, coordinated with the patient's primary care physician.
• The Center for Compassionate Care (Grief Support) Community grief counseling program providing comfort care, education about grief, and coping strategies to individuals, couples, families, and children at little or no charge, regardless of prior patient affiliation.
• Adult Grief Support Grief counseling and support groups for adults, including specialty groups for Parent Loss, Child Loss, Spouse/Partner Loss, Sudden and Unexpected Loss, and a Journey Through Loss Book Club. Available to all community members regardless of patient affiliation, both in person and virtually via Zoom.
• Children's Bereavement Program Comprehensive bereavement services for children ages 3-17 in San Diego and Southwest Riverside Counties, including peer-based grief support groups, bereavement camps (Camp Spero), school-based support groups, and one-on-one counseling. Free of charge and open to all children in the community.
• Camp Spero Summer bereavement day camp for children ages 7-17 grieving the death of loved ones, based on 'Dum Spiro Spero' (While I breathe, I hope). Includes grief-related activities and traditional camp fun; offered free of charge with transportation provided.

Quantifiable outcome

• Served 150,000+ people since 1978
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Department of Veterans Affairs and National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (We Honor Veterans Program)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWe Honor Veterans program partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs and NHPCO. The Elizabeth Hospice has achieved Level 5 Partner status, the highest level of distinction. This partnership provides specialized veteran hospice care including training to address post-traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, survivor's guilt, and soul injury.
• Disabled American VeteransminorOthersVeteran community resource partner providing support and referrals for veterans accessing hospice care services.
• San Diego Veterans CoalitionminorOthersVeteran community resource partner supporting veteran hospice care coordination in San Diego County.
• San Diego Military Family CollaborativeminorOthersPartner supporting military families in accessing hospice and grief support services.
• VA San Diego Healthcare SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey healthcare partner providing veteran healthcare services and coordination with hospice care programs.
• Resounding JoyminorOthersMusic therapy organization partner providing complementary therapies to hospice patients.
• California Hospice and Palliative Care Association (CHAPCA)minorOthersIndustry membership organization for hospice and palliative care providers in California.
• National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice InnovationminorOthersNational membership organization for innovative hospice and healthcare providers.
• National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO)minorOthersNational membership organization representing hospice and palliative care programs.
• Coalition to Transform Advanced Care (CTAC)minorOthersCoalition focused on transforming advanced care through policy and program initiatives.
• UCSD School of MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeaching affiliate providing medical student education. UCSD School of Medicine requires all fourth-year medical students to spend clinical time with a hospice program, with about half doing clerkship with The Elizabeth Hospice.
• UCSD HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor healthcare system partner providing fellowship training, residency programs, and patient care integration. The Elizabeth Hospice participates in joint UCSD/Scripps Fellowship Program in Hospice and Palliative Medicine.
• Scripps HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare system partner for fellowship training and residency programs. Scripps Mercy Hospital Internal Medicine requires residents to spend clinical time with The Elizabeth Hospice.
• Family Medicine Residency Program of Southwest Healthcare Medical Education ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResidency program offering physicians outpatient palliative care training experience with The Elizabeth Hospice in Temecula and Murrieta.
• Challenged Athletes Foundation Operation ReboundminorOthersVeterans resource partner supporting challenged athletes who are veterans.
• County of San Diego Office of Military & Veterans AffairsminorOthersCounty government partner for veteran services coordination.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• VITAS Healthcare: Largest hospice provider in the United States, offering hospice and palliative care across multiple states. Directly comparable as a multi-service hospice organization operating adult and specialty programs, though for-profit and substantially larger scale than The Elizabeth Hospice.
• Gentiva (formerly Kindred at Home): National hospice and home health provider offering hospice, palliative, and home health services. Comparable portfolio of hospice and palliative services delivered in patients' homes across multiple regions, though operated at national scale.
• Amedisys Hospice: Multi-state hospice and home health operator providing hospice, palliative, and home health services. Closely comparable service lines (home hospice, palliative, grief support) with similar patient referral and insurance reimbursement model.
• HopeHealth: Nonprofit hospice and palliative care organization serving communities across the southeastern U.S. Highly comparable as a mission-driven, multi-service provider offering hospice, palliative, and bereavement programs with strong community brand presence.
• Empath Health: Nonprofit integrated hospice, palliative, and grief support provider. Closely comparable service mix including adult and pediatric hospice, palliative care, and bereavement programs, with similar mission-driven, community-based operating model.

Broad incumbents

• Providence Hospice (Providence St. Joseph Health): Faith-based, nonprofit health system offering hospice and palliative care as part of a broader integrated delivery network. Comparable in nonprofit mission orientation and hospice/palliative scope, but with system-level infrastructure and capital backing.
• Compassus: National hospice, palliative, and home health provider operating across many states. Directly comparable core hospice service line with broader geographic and operational scale, including palliative and home health adjacencies.

Regional players

• Sutter Care at Home: Nonprofit home health and hospice affiliate of Sutter Health, serving Northern California. Comparable in nonprofit, integrated hospice/palliative/home health model and in California market familiarity, but operating in a different geographic region.
• UC San Diego Health Hospice and Palliative Medicine: Academic palliative medicine program at UCSD, a joint fellowship partner of The Elizabeth Hospice. Comparable as a regional palliative/hospice service tied to a major health system, serving overlapping San Diego patient populations and physician trainee pools.

Emerging players

• Charter Health Care Group (formerly Charter Hospice): Multi-state hospice and palliative care provider with a comparable service mix including specialty programs. Comparable as a hospice-led organization with community-based delivery, but with a growth-oriented operating posture and partial geographic overlap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thelizabethhosp

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

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 The Elizabeth Hospice