Heath Bartness, Founder & CEO, St. Croix Hospice
In an interview with Invest:, Heath Bartness, founder and CEO of St. Croix Hospice, talked about the organization’s growth amid economic challenges, emphasizing its continued demand for services and overcoming regulatory changes. St. Croix Hospice stands out for its Minnesota-based culture of excellence and commitment to diverse patient and caregiver representation, he said.
What have been some of the biggest ways St. Croix Hospice has grown despite economic challenges?
We continue to see immense demand for our services, and we have talented caregivers serving the community. We have also been able to overcome regulatory changes that have come our way.
What strategies or programs have you put in place to mitigate labor shortages?
We do annual comprehensive wage reviews of all disciplines in the geographic markets we serve. In terms of labor shortages, we feel like the headwinds are behind us, but we don’t feel those tailwinds as of yet. We think that is definitely coming, given the interest in building up skilled healthcare givers, which remains a primary focus. We also have an attractive work-life balance. For example, we hire clinicians who are salary-based while giving them flexibility in their schedules that still aligns with the needs of patients.
What are some of the exciting innovations going on in the community?
Technology continues to be a driver, whether it is AI-based or voice-to-text opportunities so clinicians can spend more time with patients rather than on documentation. We have learned since the pandemic to be more efficient in terms of communicating remotely. The work ethic in this region is strong and makes this area a tremendous location to operate a business in.
What are some of the challenges you face in meeting the needs of the public?
We often see that many people who qualify for end-of-life care are not using it, which is an unfortunate reality. Less than 50% of people 65 and older access hospice care, an amazing benefit that requires little to no cost for beneficiaries of Medicare, Medicaid or private insurance. One of the challenges we face in meeting the needs of hospice-qualifying populations is the regulatory burden that providers experience, both federally and within the state of Minnesota.
What are some areas of service you hope to incorporate to increase accessibility?
We feel the value of hospice care is immense, and we can bring talented and skilled caregivers to the patient directly to meet a wide range of needs. We can provide medical equipment and supplies as they relate to the terminal diagnosis of a patient at no cost to them or their family. Ultimately, we continue to see hospice programs saving Medicare funds. The last available report showed a savings of $3.5 billion annually, based on limiting hospitalizations.
What is something uniquely distinctive to St. Croix Hospice that sets it apart from other hospice organizations?
We are a Minnesota-based organization that prides ourselves on being the best, and we have one opportunity to provide patients and families a positive end-of-life experience. There are no do-overs or second chances, and that mindset has shaped our organizational culture since its founding. That approach has served us well in the 15 years that we have been doing this.
What diversity efforts are you putting in place?
We care for diverse patients and families, so it is important to us that we employ diverse caregivers. Whether it is a spiritual need, language and so on, we have opportunities to impact patients and families by accommodating them to the best of our ability.
What are the near-term priorities for St. Croix Hospice?
We are one of only four organizations in the country and the only one in the Midwest to be awarded top honors from the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization Quality Connections Program from 2021-2024. We continue to strive to be the best in caring for patients and families, no matter their location in the communities we serve and no matter their ability to pay. The only way to do that is to hire gifted and skilled caregivers, and to support their journey of being a caregiver, whether that is assisting with tuition reimbursement, or ensuring they have the ability to participate in the fleet management program with company-issued vehicles.
