Who We Are

It’s not just part of our name – “care” is the essence of who we are. We opened our doors in 1980 as a community-based, non-profit organization as Hospice of St. Joseph County, thanks to the efforts of many community members from a variety of fields. Since welcoming the first of the more than 45,000 patients in 1980, we have improved the quality of living in our community through hospice, home health, grief counseling and community education.

Every day, Center for Hospice Care helps patients and their loved ones experience the best possible quality of living even as they face the end of life. Our philosophy is simple: everyone deserves to live on their own terms, especially at the end of life. That’s what hospice care can offer – it’s about giving you and your loved ones the opportunity to make decisions and choose what matters most. Ice cream for breakfast? A cocktail with friends? We’re here to help and support your decisions.

Choosing a community-based, mission-driven provider like Center for Hospice Care is a good way to ensure that the care you receive is about what’s best for you, not what makes the most money. A recent study found that only 18% of Americans trust the US healthcare system to put their well-being ahead of profits. It’s not surprising, when you think about how complicated billing and insurance can be.

Nearly all the oldest, most respected hospice organizations in the country began as nonprofits, and many of those organizations are still operating today. As a result, nonprofits often have more experience and a longer track record in their communities than the newer corporate competitors that see hospice as a business opportunity.

In fact, since 1980, Center for Hospice Care has kept our promise that no one eligible for hospice services will be turned away, regardless of their ability to pay. Knowing how to care for the most vulnerable also means knowing how to deliver the highest quality care to everyone – it’s about putting people first. For example:

• Nonprofits provide 10% more nursing visits, 35% more social worker visits, and twice as many therapy visits vs. for-profit hospices per patient day
• For-profit hospices report spending over 300% more on advertising costs than nonprofit hospices
• For-profit hospices report spending less than half what nonprofit hospices report on bereavement services

We are invested in the well-being of the communities we serve. We don’t compromise quality for the sake of year-end revenues. As a nonprofit provider, we reinvest into support for our communities during the final years, months, and days of life.

Vision

To be the premier hospice and palliative care organization for all end-of-life issues.

Values

Compassion, Dignity, Innovation, Integrity, Quality, Service, Stewardship

Center for Hospice Care serves nine counties in northern Indiana: Elkhart, Fulton, Kosciusko, LaGrange, LaPorte, Marshall, Porter, St. Joseph and Starke. If you reside in one of these counties, we can help you. Just call 1-800-HOSPICE.

To serve our patients and families throughout northern Indiana, our offices are in Mishawaka, Elkhart, Plymouth and La Porte. Our administration offices, Hospice Foundation and the Joel and Elizabeth Welch Life Transition Center (which houses our grief and bereavement services) are in Mishawaka by Central Park.

We are the only hospice provider in our service area that operates two Medicare-certified inpatient care facilities, “Esther’s House” on our Elkhart Campus and the “Ernestine M. Raclin House” on our Mishawaka Campus. These conveniently located facilities provide a “home away from home” for patients who need supervised around the clock care, short-term care for symptom management and when a caregiver needs a brief respite. Learn more about our inpatient services.

You are always welcome to visit any of our offices during regular business hours. We’d be happy to give you a tour and answer any questions you may have about hospice and palliative care.

Supporting and guiding the activities of Center for Hospice Care is a group of women and men in leadership positions throughout the community. The board meets several times a year to review progress, discuss long-term plans, and ensure we remain true to our mission.