Hospice of Washington County

What Hospice of Washington County does

Hospice of Washington County (HWC), legally Hospice of Washington County, Inc., is a Maryland-incorporated nonprofit hospice and palliative care provider founded in 1980 and headquartered in Hagerstown, Maryland, with 51-100 employees. It is the sole licensed hospice care provider in Washington County, Maryland, and through its wholly-owned subsidiary Franklin Hospice (launched 2020) also serves Franklin County, Pennsylvania. In September 2024, HWC entered an affiliation agreement with Baltimore-based Gilchrist, Maryland's leading nonprofit provider of geriatric, palliative, and hospice care, while retaining its own brand and naming; both organizations together represent roughly 75 years of combined service.

HWC's core service lines are (i) Hospice Care, delivering end-of-life care in patients' homes, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and group homes through interdisciplinary teams of physicians, RNs, social workers, spiritual counselors, and aides; (ii) LifeCare, a palliative care program for patients with serious illness not yet eligible for hospice; (iii) Doey's House, the county's only 12-bed hospice inpatient unit for 24-hour symptom management; and (iv) a broad bereavement program (Hearts of Hope, DoveTales, Soaring Doves, Stepping Stones, Heartfelt Keepsakes, Teen and Caregiver groups, Parenting While Grieving) provided free of charge. Specialized community funds include The Jennifer Fund for pediatric patients and the Frederic H. Kass III, M.D. Endowed Scholarship Fund.

Revenue mechanics rely primarily on Medicare Hospice Benefit reimbursement for clinical services, supplemented by Medicaid, private insurance, and a meaningful donations and fundraising layer (Celebrity Waiter Gala, WJEJ Radio 1240 Radio-Thon, Giving Society, tribute/memorial gifts, corporate sponsors such as Middletown Valley Bank). Technology is conventional hospice care management plus participation in CRISP, the Chesapeake Regional Information System for our Patients, for regional health information exchange in Maryland and D.C. The organization is governed by an elected Board of Directors and now operates under the broader Gilchrist umbrella following the 2024 affiliation.

Name

Hospice of Washington County

Legal name

Hospice of Washington County, Inc.

Website

https://hospiceofwc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Hospice of Washington County is a nonprofit hospice, palliative, and bereavement care provider founded in 1980 in Hagerstown, Maryland, serving as the sole licensed hospice in Washington County, MD and operating the 12-bed Doey's House inpatient unit.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Hagerstown

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, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Medicare Hospice Benefit: Primary revenue source from Medicare reimbursement for hospice services. The organization is the sole licensed hospice care provider within Washington County, Maryland.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Community donations, memorial gifts, tribute donations, and proceeds from fundraising events including Celebrity Waiter Gala, Radio-Thon, and various community events. The organization maintains giving societies and special funds.
3. Special Programs Funding: Dedicated funds such as The Jennifer Fund for pediatric patients, Frederic H. Kass III, M.D. Endowed Scholarship Fund, and charity care funds supported by community donations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hospice of Washington County provides end-of-life hospice care in patients' homes and partner facilities, palliative care through its LifeCare program, and free grief and bereavement support to community members. It also operates Doey's House, Washington County's only 12-bed hospice inpatient unit, offering 24/7 pain and symptom management for patients requiring intensive support.

Product overview

Hospice of Washington County is a hospice care provider offering a comprehensive suite of services tailored to each patient's medical, emotional, and spiritual needs. The core offerings include Hospice Care (end-of-life care provided wherever patients call home), LifeCare (palliative care for those not yet ready for hospice), and Bereavement Services. The organization operates Doey's House, the county's only 12-bed hospice inpatient unit for 24/7 pain and symptom management. Grief support programs include Hearts of Hope support groups, Heartfelt Keepsakes craft workshops, Teen Grief Support Group, Caregiver Support Group, Stepping Stones introductory sessions, DoveTales children's program, Soaring Doves Family Bereavement Program, and Parenting While Grieving virtual series—all offered free of charge. The Jennifer Fund provides pediatric patient support, and the Frederic H. Kass III, M.D. Scholarship supports healthcare education. Through its 2024 affiliation with Gilchrist and its 2020 launch of Franklin Hospice, the organization extends services across Maryland and south-central Pennsylvania.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Doey's House: The county's only hospice inpatient unit - a 12-bed facility at 11370 Caring Pathway Lane, Hagerstown, MD providing 24-hour care for hospice patients requiring pain and symptom management.
• LifeCare

Products and services

• Hospice Care End-of-life hospice care delivered wherever patients call home — private residences, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and group homes — by an interdisciplinary team of physicians, registered nurses, certified nursing assistants, social workers, and spiritual care providers. Includes pain and symptom management, respite care, spiritual support, medical equipment and supplies, and family caregiver support for terminally ill patients (typically life expectancy of six months or less).
• LifeCare (Advanced Illness Management / Palliative Care) Palliative care program providing specialized medical relief for people living with serious illness who are not yet ready for hospice. Includes palliative consultations, symptom management, care coordination, and goals-of-care discussions to improve quality of life for patients and families.
• Bereavement Services / Grief Support
• Doey's House (Inpatient Hospice Unit) Washington County's only hospice inpatient unit: a 12-bed standalone facility at 11370 Caring Pathway Lane, Hagerstown, MD providing 24/7 pain and symptom management for hospice patients requiring intensive support for brief periods.
• Franklin Hospice Affiliate hospice provider serving Franklin County, Pennsylvania and surrounding areas. Operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hospice of Washington County, benefiting from the relationship with HWC and Gilchrist while focusing exclusively on Franklin County.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 3,000 patients have received care at Doey's House inpatient unit since opening
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• GilchristcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024In September 2024, Hospice of Washington County entered into an affiliation agreement with Baltimore-based Gilchrist, Maryland's leading nonprofit provider of serious illness and end-of-life care. This partnership united two of Maryland's oldest and most experienced nonprofit hospice organizations with nearly 75 years of combined service. The affiliation enables expanded access to care and a unified approach to serving communities across Maryland and south-central Pennsylvania. Both organizations retain their names and branding.
• Franklin HospicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFranklin Hospice, launched in 2020 in Chambersburg, PA to serve Franklin County, PA, operates as an affiliate of Hospice of Washington County. It benefits from the relationship with nearby Hospice of Washington County, leveraging experience and clinical expertise while focusing exclusively on serving Franklin County and surrounding areas.
• Chesapeake Regional Information System for our Patients (CRISP)supportingTechnology or IntegrationHealth information exchange partnership enabling faster access to patient information, better care coordination, and assistance for providers and public health officials in making informed decisions. Participation is permitted by law and patients may opt-out.
• Middletown Valley BanksupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partner supporting events including the annual 'Have A Heart for Hospice' Radio-Thon hosted at their Operations Center. Provides sponsorship and venue for fundraising events.
• WJEJ Radio 1240supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal radio station partnership for annual Radio-Thon event. Host Lou Scally has been instrumental in the event's success over 14 years, helping raise funds and awareness for Doey's House.
• CAPC (Center to Advance Palliative Care)supportingOthersListed as a proud partner, indicating membership in professional palliative care organization providing resources and best practices.
• NPHI (National Partnership for Hospice Innovation)supportingOthersListed as a proud partner, indicating membership in national hospice innovation network providing resources and quality standards.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Amedisys: Public company providing home health and hospice services across 30+ states. Directly comparable on home hospice clinical delivery and Medicare hospice reimbursement dynamics; while not currently in Washington County, it is a reference comparable for PE valuation of hospice assets.
• Compassus: National hospice, palliative, and home health provider operating across 30+ states including the Mid-Atlantic. Closely comparable on interdisciplinary clinical model, home hospice delivery, and palliative care program structure.
• Capital Caring Health: Regional nonprofit hospice and palliative care provider serving the greater Washington, D.C. area and parts of Maryland and Virginia. Highly comparable in mission, nonprofit structure, service mix (hospice, palliative, bereavement), and inpatient hospice facility operations.
• Gilchrist: Maryland's leading nonprofit hospice, palliative, and serious-illness provider; entered an affiliation agreement with Hospice of Washington County in September 2024 to create a unified care delivery platform across Maryland and south-central Pennsylvania. Operates geriatric, palliative, and hospice programs with overlapping clinical model.
• Gentiva: National hospice and palliative care provider serving 30+ states with home hospice, palliative, and bereavement programs. Directly comparable clinical model and payer mix; relevant as a scale reference and as a potential acquirer of mid-sized regional hospices.

Broad incumbents

• VITAS Healthcare (Chemed Corporation): Largest hospice provider in the United States, operating in 15+ states with both home hospice and inpatient hospice facilities. Closest direct competitor for hospice care delivery model, scale, and clinical specialization, though geographically it does not currently overlap Washington County.
• LHC Group (Optum): Large home health, hospice, and palliative provider operating in 38 states, now part of Optum. Comparable on home-based hospice delivery and clinical staffing model, but operates as a for-profit scaled platform rather than a community nonprofit.
• Encompass Health: Public post-acute and rehabilitation provider; recently spun off its home health and hospice segment (Enhabit). Relevant as a broad incumbent in the post-acute care continuum intersecting with hospice referral flows.

Others

• National Partnership for Hospice Innovation (NPHI) member agencies: NPHI is a national collaborative of nonprofit hospice providers of which HWC is a member. Peer set includes other community-based, mission-driven nonprofit hospices of similar scale and structure; useful comparable cohort for governance, fundraising, and clinical quality benchmarks.

Regional players

• Montgomery Hospice & Prince George's Hospice: Maryland-based nonprofit hospice serving Montgomery and Prince George's counties. Directly comparable nonprofit mission, Maryland regulatory environment, and clinical service mix; relevant peer for benchmarking performance in adjacent Maryland counties.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hospiceofwc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Hospice of Washington County