Three months after adopting the new Alleo Health System name to reflect its growing footprint and services, the parent company of Hospice of Chattanooga announced Monday it has acquired Comprehensive Care, a private-duty care agency that serves servicing nine counties in Southeast Tennessee where Hospice of Chattanooga already has a market presence.
The addition of Comprehensive Care expands Alleo Health's service offerings, which include hospice, palliative, and children's services along with counseling and grief support.
"Day after day we receive tons of calls from the community asking us to be a referral resource and we want to make sure we are responding to the community and meeting local needs in every way that we can," said Tracy Wood, president and CEO of Alleo Health System. "We are excited about having Comprehensive Care under the Alleo Health umbrella to ensure we can provide additional quality resources to patients and families regardless of where they are in life's journey."
Started in 2017, Comprehensive Care has about 100 employees and serves about 30 patients a day. The for-profit Comprehensive Care, which operates from one of the Osborne office buildings near Eastgate Town Center, is being converted to a non-profit business under Alleo Health under the partnership announced Monday.
Comprehensive Care provides a range of home assistance for elderly and disabled persons needing help with meals, transportation and daily living care for up to 24 hours a day. The services are usually offered in clients' homes, but it also is sometimes provided in nursing homes or senior housing facilities.
"This is a continuum of care for us to make sure we meet the needs of those we serve," Wood said. "Some people needing some help before any hospice service is provided might strictly use Comprehensive Care while others might use this service for extra care and help in the home to supplement the hospice care we provide."
Comprehensive Care is usually paid by private pay or long-term care policies, and is in addition to the hospice care provided by Alleo.
"This is a solution that seniors can have access to in a variety of settings," Wood said. "I also think it will expand our impact in the communities we serve."
Comprehensive Care offers more than a dozen programs ranging from companion and personal care to telehealth services.
"We are a true one-stop resource for adults in need of personal care services, care management, and placement services.," the company says on its website.
Julie Hogan, executive director for Comprehensive Health, said the agency offers a unique and successful model in the health care industry.
"Unlike others in this space, we provide care management and navigation through the health care system," she said. "We give our clients options and review resources with them, as well as provide counseling on their benefits to help them identify additional sources to pay for their care. It's truly a comprehensive approach."
Alleo, which has nearly 400 employees and 300 volunteers providing hospice services in 22 counties in and around Chattanooga, is absorbing the staff of Comprehensive Care.
"As U.S. demographics skew older, it will become increasingly important to provide quality care solutions in a variety of settings for our seniors and others, and to collectively expand our impact on the communities we serve,' Wood said.
Alleo oversees the Hospice of Chattanooga as well as the Good Shepherd Hospice which provides hospice care in four counties in western North Carolina.
Contact Dave Flessner dflessner@timesfreepress.com or at 757-6340.