Northwestern Memorial HealthCare is selling its home health and hospice programs to JourneyCare, a hospice and palliative-care provider.
The deal, the terms of which were not disclosed, adds home health services to Glenview, Ill.-based JourneyCare's offerings and "significantly" expands its capacity in DeKalb, Kane and DuPage counties in Illinois, the company announced today.
JourneyCare previously had "strategic partnerships" with Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital and Centegra Health System, which became part of Chicago-based Northwestern Memorial HealthCare last year, according to the company's website.
It's not clear why Northwestern decided to sell its home health and hospice programs, or how many employees JourneyCare is gaining as part of the deal. A Northwestern representative declined to comment and JourneyCare representatives could not be reached.
The demand for home-based healthcare services is expected to increase as the population gets older, more people are diagnosed with chronic conditions, and patients continue to choose in-home care over costly alternatives like skilled-nursing facilities and hospitals.
The home healthcare market was valued at about $300 billion last year, according to one estimate. And home health aide is among the fastest-growing occupations nationwide, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In addition to hospice, palliative and—now—home health care, JourneyCare says it provides care management, in-home primary care and grief support services. Treatment occurs in Chicago-area patients' homes, as well as at nursing homes, assisted-living facilities and hospitals.
In 2015, the company merged with two other palliative and end-of-life care providers to create the state's largest not-for-profit hospice provider by patient volume.
"Northwestern sheds home health, hospice business" originally appeared in Crain's Chicago Business.
