Lightways Hospice and Serious Illness Care

What Lightways Hospice and Serious Illness Care does

Lightways Hospice and Serious Illness Care is an independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit healthcare provider headquartered at 250 Water Stone Circle in Joliet, Illinois, founded in 1982 as Joliet Area Community Hospice and rebranded to its current name. The organization delivers an integrated continuum of hospice care, serious illness (palliative) care, pediatric hospice and palliative care, and community grief support, complemented by a 24-bed freestanding hospice inpatient unit in Joliet that is the largest nonprofit inpatient unit in Illinois. It is the only pediatric hospice and palliative care program in Northern Illinois, and it operates as the sole pediatric hospice service in its 11-county service region (Cook, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, LaSalle, Livingston, McHenry, and Will counties). Care is delivered by an interdisciplinary team of nurses, CNAs, social workers, chaplains, board-certified music therapists, certified child life specialists, and trained volunteers across patient homes, skilled nursing and assisted living facilities, the inpatient unit, and via a secure telehealth messaging/video platform.

The business model is a hybrid of healthcare reimbursement and philanthropy. Core service revenue flows from per-diem reimbursement under Medicare hospice benefits, Medicaid hospice benefits, and private insurance for eligible hospice and palliative care episodes. Approximately 70% of pediatric palliative patients receive no reimbursement, leaving Lightways to absorb over $900,000 in uncompensated pediatric costs annually, and all grief support services are provided at no charge to families and community members. The philanthropic arm consists of donations, memorial gifts, planned giving, IRA charitable rollovers, and corporate matching gifts, supplemented by United Way of Will County and United Way of Grundy County agency-membership funding, foundation grants, bequests, and proceeds from events such as the Lightways Hospice Guild's fundraising activities (cumulative >$1,000,000 over nearly 40 years), Wonderlight, the annual Family Fun Run/5K, and the Guild's Card Party and Puttin' on the Glitz.

The organization is governed by an independent Board of Directors with no parent company or private equity ownership. CEO Mary Kay Sheehan, who holds a Kellogg MBA and 32 years of hospice and palliative care experience, also chairs the Illinois Hospice & Palliative Care Organization board and serves as Vice Chair of the National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization's Legislative Committee. The operational core sits on an EMR-based clinical documentation platform and a secure telehealth communication product; no proprietary AI/ML systems are deployed. Long-tenured hospital referral relationships with Silver Cross Hospital and Provena St. Joseph Medical Center have been in place since 2006, and the organization has earned consecutive Chicago Tribune Top Workplace recognition from 2021 through 2025.

Name

Lightways Hospice and Serious Illness Care

Legal name

Joliet Area Community Hospice Corporation

Website

https://lightways.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Lightways Hospice and Serious Illness Care is an independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Joliet, Illinois, delivering hospice, serious illness, pediatric palliative, and grief support services across 11 Northern Illinois counties from a 24-bed inpatient facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospice and Palliative Care Services

NAICS

Home Health Care Services (62161), Nursing and Residential Care Facilities (623), Home Health Care Services (621610)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Home Hospice (Routine Home Care) (HLADAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Residential Hospice / Hospice House (Facility-Based) (HLADAHAC), Community-Based Palliative Care (Home-Based Non-Hospice) (HLADAHAH), Hospice Care in Assisted Living / Residential Care Facilities (HLADAHAE), Bereavement, Grief & Family Support Services (Hospice-Linked) (HLAFAEAO), Non-Hospice Serious-Illness / Community-Based Palliative Care (In-Home) (HSABAFAF), In-Home Hospice Nursing Visits (RN/LPN) (HSABAFAL), In-Home Hospice Physician / Nurse Practitioner Visits (HSABAFAM), Home Hospice Agencies (HLAFAEAC)

Keywords

• Hospice care
• Palliative care
• Pediatric hospice
• Grief support
• Serious illness care

Headquarters

HQ city

Joliet

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Medicare Hospice Benefits: Primary reimbursement source covering hospice care for eligible beneficiaries. As a nonprofit hospice, Lightways qualifies as a Medicare provider and receives per-diem reimbursement for hospice services.
2. Medicaid and Third-Party Insurance: Medicaid hospice benefits and coverage from private insurance companies for hospice and serious illness care services.
3. Donations and Philanthropy: Tax-deductible donations from individuals, memorial gifts, planned giving, IRA charitable rollovers, and corporate matching gifts support uncompensated care and program expansion.
4. United Way Funding: United Way of Will County and United Way of Grundy County provide additional funding as nonprofit agency members.
5. Grants and Fundraising Events: Foundation grants, memorial donations, bequests, and proceeds from events like the Guild's Annual Card Party and Puttin' on the Glitz.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Lightways Hospice and Serious Illness Care is an independent nonprofit healthcare provider that delivers hospice care, serious illness (palliative) care, pediatric hospice and palliative care, and grief support services to adults and children across 11 counties in Northern Illinois. Care is delivered by interdisciplinary teams in patients' homes, skilled nursing and assisted living facilities, and a 24-bed freestanding inpatient hospice unit in Joliet.

Product overview

Lightways Hospice and Serious Illness Care is a nonprofit hospice and palliative care provider offering a coordinated suite of services centered on four core care programs: Hospice Care, Serious Illness Care (Palliative Care), Pediatric Care, and a 24-bed Hospice Inpatient Unit in Joliet, Illinois. These core services are supported by complementary programs including Grief Support, Integrative Therapies (aromatherapy, massage, music therapy), Child Life Specialists, Veterans Program, and Advanced Directives assistance. The organization also provides specialized care tracks for ALS and cardiac conditions. All services are delivered by an interdisciplinary team of nurses, CNAs, social workers, chaplains, and trained volunteers, with care provided in patient homes, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, or the inpatient unit.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Little Lights Fund: A specialized fund established in August 2022 to support the newly-expanded pediatric program at Lightways, covering non-reimbursed expenses for pediatric palliative care.

Products and services

• Hospice Care Physical, emotional and spiritual support for adult patients with terminal illness provided by an interdisciplinary team including nurses, CNAs, social workers, chaplains, and volunteers. Care is provided in the home, care facility, hospital, or the inpatient unit.
• Serious Illness Care (Palliative Care) Symptom management, care coordination, and practical counsel for patients with advanced, chronic or life-limiting illnesses such as ALS, cardiac conditions, cancer, and dementia. Provided by nurse practitioners and social workers in consultation with the patient's established medical team, concurrent with curative treatment.
• Pediatric Care Pain and symptom management and care coordination for children from birth to 21 years with medically complex, chronic or life-limiting illnesses. Includes pediatric palliative care and pediatric hospice care. Lightways is the only pediatric hospice and palliative care program in Northern Illinois, serving approximately 200 families annually.
• Hospice Inpatient Unit A 24-bed hospice inpatient facility in Joliet, Illinois providing expert, round-the-clock medical care in a peaceful, home-like environment for patients requiring 24-hour nursing care to control pain and symptoms. Includes 4 private family suites.
• Grief Support Compassionate care continuing after a death. Offers individual and family grief counseling, support groups, workshops, special events, grief education, and a summer day camp provided by licensed grief counselors, including bilingual Spanish counseling and certified child life specialists. All services provided at no charge.
• Integrative Therapies Holistic therapeutic services including aromatherapy, massage therapy (acupressure, reflexology, geriatric massage), manual lymphatic drainage, and music therapy to address emotional, physical, and mental health needs of hospice and palliative care patients.
• Child Life Specialists Specially-trained therapists who help children and their families cope with the stresses of having a loved one in hospice or with a serious illness through play, preparation, education, and emotional support.
• Veterans Program We Honor Veterans Program providing specialized hospice care for veterans including caregiver support, Veteran to Veteran programs, pinning recognition ceremonies, bereavement support, and guidance on VA resources and benefits.
• Advanced Directives Educational and support services helping patients and families create advance directives including Power of Attorney for Health Care, Power of Attorney for Property, POLST, Living Will, and Five Wishes.
• ALS Specialty Care Specialized physical, emotional and spiritual support for patients with ALS delivered through both Serious Illness Care and Hospice Programs.
• Cardiac Care Cardiac care program providing patient monitoring and resources with the goal of reducing hospital visits and improving quality of life for patients with heart conditions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 32,000 patients served since 1982
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• United Way of Will CountycoreOthersUnited Way of Will County provides funding support as a nonprofit agency member since 1985. Lightways receives additional funding through United Way membership.
• United Way of Grundy CountycoreOthersUnited Way of Grundy County provides funding support as a nonprofit agency member.
• National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO)coreOthersNHPCO is the largest nonprofit organization representing hospice and palliative care programs in the US. Lightways holds membership and CEO Mary Kay Sheehan serves on NHPCO's Legislative Committee.
• Illinois Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (ILHPCO)coreOthersState-level organization representing hospice and palliative care providers in Illinois. CEO Mary Kay Sheehan serves as Chair of ILHPCO's Board of Directors.
• National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI)coreOthersNPHI is a collaborative of innovative hospice and palliative care organizations. Lightways holds membership.
• Silver Cross HospitalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSilver Cross Hospital partners with Lightways for hospice admissions. Lightways has been admitting patients at Silver Cross Hospital since 2006.
• Provena St. Joseph Medical CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLightways admits patients at Provena St. Joseph Medical Center since 2006.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Empath Health: Large integrated nonprofit hospice and palliative care organization (formed via merger of Suncoast Hospice, HPC Healthcare, and others). Comparable to Lightways as a mission-driven, community-rooted nonprofit hospice with inpatient hospice facilities, palliative care, pediatric services, and grief support programs.
• Arkansas Hospice: Nonprofit community-based hospice and palliative care provider operating inpatient hospice houses, pediatric palliative care, and grief services. Comparable to Lightways in mission, service mix, and freestanding inpatient hospice unit model.
• JourneyCare: Largest nonprofit hospice and palliative care provider in Illinois, formed through the merger of Horizon Hospice and JourneyCare. Operates across the Chicago metropolitan area and shares Lightways' geographic market, directly competing for hospice referrals, clinical staff, and inpatient hospice beds.
• HopeHealth: Nonprofit hospice, palliative care, and grief support organization serving Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Directly comparable to Lightways as a community-based, mission-driven nonprofit hospice with home hospice, palliative care, pediatric support, and dedicated grief programs.

Broad incumbents

• CenterWell Hospice (Humana): Humana-owned home health and hospice provider with a large Illinois footprint. Provides hospice services, palliative care, and integrated care management, competing with Lightways for physician referrals and skilled nursing facility contracts in the Northern Illinois market.
• Amedisys Hospice: One of the largest home health and hospice operators in the U.S., now part of UnitedHealth Group's Optum. Provides hospice and palliative care services across Illinois and competes with Lightways for hospital referrals, skilled nursing facility partnerships, and physician relationships in shared Northern Illinois counties.
• VITAS Healthcare (Chemed Corporation): Largest hospice provider in the United States and a subsidiary of Chemed Corporation. Operates hospice programs across multiple states including Illinois, offering routine home hospice, inpatient hospice, and palliative care that directly competes with Lightways for referrals and clinical talent.
• Enhabit Hospice: Public home health and hospice provider operating across the U.S. including Illinois. Offers routine hospice and palliative services that overlap with Lightways' core offerings, particularly for home-based hospice referrals and post-acute care transitions.
• Gentiva Hospice: National hospice and palliative care provider offering routine hospice, palliative care, and bereavement support. Operates in Illinois counties overlapping Lightways' service area and competes for home hospice referrals and hospice-trained clinical staff.

Others

• National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) member agencies: Industry association whose member hospice and palliative care providers—including Lightways' CEO on the Legislative Committee—represent a peer cohort for benchmarking nonprofit hospice governance, advocacy, and operational best practices relevant to a nonprofit peer comparison.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCnUV1vlsCwT2ZCYb2GgzO8A
• Facebookfacebook.com/LightwaysHospice
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lightwayshospice
• Instagraminstagram.com/lightwayshospice
• Xx.com/lightwayscare

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Lightways Hospice and Serious Illness Care