VITAS Healthcare
VITAS Healthcare is a U.S. provider of hospice and palliative care for people with advanced illness and their families.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
VITAS Healthcare is an American hospice and palliative-care organization focused on end-of-life support for patients with advanced or terminal illness. The organization began in South Florida in 1978 as a nonprofit hospice initiative associated with Methodist minister Hugh Westbrook and nurse Esther Colliflower, with Don Gaetz also playing an important founding and policy role. Its first patient was Emmy Philhour. The organization initially operated under the name Hospice Care, Incorporated before adopting the VITAS name, derived from the Latin word for “lives.” VITAS delivers care primarily in patients’ homes, while also operating inpatient hospice units and coordinating services through hospitals, nursing homes, assisted-living communities, physicians, insurers and other community partners. Its interdisciplinary model brings together physicians, registered nurses, home health aides, social workers, chaplains, volunteers and bereavement specialists. In addition to clinical care, services may include medications, home medical equipment, spiritual counseling, emotional support and assistance for family caregivers. The company describes itself as the largest single-source provider of end-of-life care in the United States. Its operating footprint includes 60 hospice programs across 15 states and the District of Columbia. Company materials cited in the reference material describe a workforce of more than 12,000 professionals and an average daily census exceeding 23,000 patients; these figures are subject to change over time. VITAS serves patients in cooperation with hospitals, nursing facilities, assisted-living providers, community organizations and healthcare professionals rather than relying solely on freestanding facilities. VITAS also has a notable role in the development of hospice policy in the United States. Florida enacted the country’s first hospice licensure law in 1979, and Westbrook and Gaetz were involved in efforts surrounding the 1982 Hospice Care Reimbursement Act, which established hospice as a Medicare benefit. This policy environment helped make organized hospice care more broadly accessible and financially sustainable. In 2004, Cincinnati-based Chemed Corporation acquired VITAS for $400 million. VITAS has since operated as a Chemed subsidiary, alongside Chemed’s other healthcare businesses. The company has continued to expand its clinical network, inpatient capacity, technology infrastructure and partnerships while remaining focused on hospice and palliative care rather than general acute-care medicine. Technology has been used to support VITAS’s distributed care model. In 2015, the organization participated in a HealthGrid rollout intended to allow clinicians and other care providers to exchange patient-care information securely and quickly. VITAS also used AirWatch-enabled tablets and a native mobile application to help clinicians review educational materials, identify potential hospice patients and begin admissions work in the field. VITAS is headquartered in Miramar, Florida. It historically maintained major offices in downtown Miami, including a long-term presence at Bayfront Plaza, before beginning a transition of corporate operations to the Miramar Park of Commerce in 2017. By the mid-2020s, corporate operations had been consolidated at the Miramar campus. The organization remains active as a national hospice provider, with its public identity centered on interdisciplinary care, home-based service delivery, caregiver support and helping patients manage the final phase of life with dignity.
History
VITAS Healthcare traces its origins to 1978, when a South Florida hospice initiative was established with the participation of Methodist minister Hugh Westbrook and nurse Esther Colliflower. Don Gaetz was also associated with the organization’s founding work. Its first patient was Emmy Philhour. The service initially operated as Hospice Care, Incorporated and later adopted the VITAS name, taken from the Latin word for “lives.” The organization developed during a period when hospice care was becoming more formally recognized in the United States. Florida enacted the nation’s first hospice licensure law in 1979. Westbrook and Gaetz subsequently contributed to advocacy surrounding the Hospice Care Reimbursement Act of 1982, which made hospice a Medicare benefit. The change helped establish hospice as a reimbursable component of the American healthcare system and supported the growth of specialized providers. VITAS expanded from its South Florida base into a multi-state hospice network. Its model combined home visits with inpatient hospice services and institutional partnerships. Care was delivered by interdisciplinary teams rather than by a single clinical profession. The model incorporated physicians, nurses, aides, social workers, chaplains, volunteers and bereavement specialists, alongside medications, equipment and family counseling. In 2004, Chemed Corporation acquired VITAS for $400 million. Timothy S. O’Toole led the organization as CEO from the acquisition until his retirement in June 2016. Nicholas M. Westfall became CEO in 2016 and was later named chairman and CEO in 2024. He stepped down in July 2025, when Joel L. Wherley became president and CEO. Wherley had joined VITAS in 2016 as senior vice president of operations, became executive vice president and COO in 2017, and was promoted to president and COO in 2024. VITAS invested in technology to support clinicians working across homes, facilities and hospitals. In 2015, its HealthGrid collaboration was intended to improve secure data exchange between care providers and assist with federal electronic-information requirements. Tablet-based AirWatch technology gave field employees access to patient and family education materials, while a mobile application supported identification of hospice-appropriate patients and initiation of admissions processes. The company’s history also includes substantial regulatory and legal scrutiny. In 2013, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a False Claims Act lawsuit against Chemed and VITAS-related entities. The government alleged that crisis-care services billed to Medicare between 2002 and 2013 were sometimes unnecessary, not provided, or not delivered in compliance with Medicare rules. In 2017, the parties reached a $75 million settlement. The Justice Department described the resolution as the largest False Claims Act recovery at that time from a hospice provider. VITAS historically maintained corporate offices in downtown Miami, including a long-standing tenancy at Bayfront Plaza. It began moving corporate functions to Miramar Park of Commerce in 2017, and by the mid-2020s operations had been consolidated at the Miramar campus. The organization continues to operate as a Chemed subsidiary and provides hospice and palliative services through a national network in the United States.
- 2025
Joel L. Wherley becomes president and CEO
[1]Wherley succeeded Westfall after holding senior operations and chief operating roles at VITAS.
- 2017
False Claims Act settlement
[2]Chemed and VITAS-related entities agreed to pay $75 million to resolve the federal allegations.
- 2017
Corporate headquarters transition begins
[1]VITAS began transitioning corporate offices from downtown Miami to Miramar Park of Commerce.
- 2016
Nicholas M. Westfall becomes CEO
[1]Westfall succeeded Timothy S. O’Toole as chief executive.
- 2015
HealthGrid technology rollout
[1]VITAS participated in a technology deployment designed to support secure clinical-information exchange and mobile work by clinicians.
- 2013
Department of Justice files False Claims Act lawsuit
[2]The government brought allegations concerning crisis-care services billed to Medicare between 2002 and 2013.
- 2004
Acquired by Chemed Corporation
[1]Chemed acquired VITAS for $400 million, making the hospice provider a subsidiary of the Cincinnati-based public company.
- 1982
Hospice becomes a Medicare benefit
[1]VITAS founders Hugh Westbrook and Don Gaetz were involved in efforts surrounding legislation that established hospice reimbursement through Medicare.
- 1979
Florida adopts first state hospice licensure law
[1]Florida became the first U.S. state to enact a hospice licensure law, helping formalize the environment in which VITAS operated.
- 1978
Hospice organization founded in South Florida
[1]The organization that became VITAS Healthcare began as a nonprofit hospice initiative associated with Hugh Westbrook, Esther Colliflower and Don Gaetz.
Products and positioning
A national, specialized end-of-life-care provider emphasizing interdisciplinary hospice services, home-based care, inpatient hospice capacity and coordination with the broader healthcare system.
Hospice services · 1978
Hospice care
VITAS’s principal offering is hospice care for people with advanced or terminal illness. Services are commonly delivered in patients’ residences, with clinical teams coordinating symptom management, nursing, physician oversight, medications, equipment and support for family caregivers. Care is organized around comfort and quality of life rather than curative treatment.
Palliative services
Palliative care
VITAS provides palliative-care support intended to address symptoms, comfort and emotional needs associated with serious illness. The service complements the organization’s hospice operations and may involve coordination with physicians, hospitals, facilities and other healthcare providers.
Inpatient end-of-life care
Inpatient hospice units
Inpatient hospice units provide a facility-based setting for patients who need intensive symptom management or short-term clinical support that cannot be delivered effectively in the home. VITAS also works with hospitals, nursing homes and assisted-living communities to extend access to inpatient and partner-based care.
Family and psychosocial services
Bereavement and family support
VITAS supports families before and after a patient’s death through social-work services, chaplaincy, counseling, volunteer participation and bereavement resources. These services are part of its interdisciplinary approach and recognize the emotional, spiritual and practical needs of caregivers.
Clinical support supplies
Home medical equipment and medications
As part of hospice care, VITAS supplies or coordinates medications and home medical equipment needed to support comfort and safe care outside inpatient settings. These resources are integrated with the patient’s clinical plan and are coordinated by the hospice team.
Controversies
2017
False Claims Act settlement
The defendants agreed to pay $75 million to resolve the federal lawsuit. The settlement resolved the allegations without an adjudicated finding that every claim at issue was false.
2013
False Claims Act allegations involving Medicare crisis-care billing
The U.S. Department of Justice alleged that Chemed and VITAS-related entities submitted or caused the submission of false Medicare claims for crisis-care services that were unnecessary, not provided, or inconsistent with Medicare requirements.
Marketing campaigns
- 2020VITAS Healthcare mobile app recognition
United States
VITAS’s mobile application, designed to support clinicians and hospice admissions work, received the top award for Best Social Impact at the Mobile User Experience Awards.
Outcome. The application received the Best Social Impact award.
Brand decisions
2025
Leadership succession to Joel L. WherleyOtherBackground
Nicholas M. Westfall stepped down after serving as CEO since 2016 and as chairman and CEO since 2024.
Action taken
VITAS appointed Joel L. Wherley president and CEO. Wherley had previously served as president and COO.
Aftermath
Wherley became the company’s operating leader while VITAS remained a Chemed subsidiary.
2017
Begins transition of corporate headquarters to MiramarStrategyBackground
VITAS had historically maintained corporate offices in downtown Miami while also occupying space at Miramar Park of Commerce.
Action taken
The company began moving corporate functions to its Miramar campus.
Aftermath
By the mid-2020s, corporate operations had been consolidated at the Miramar location.
2015
Deploys mobile and clinical-information technologyStrategyBackground
VITAS clinicians work across patients’ homes, inpatient units and partner facilities, creating a need for rapid and secure access to clinical information.
Action taken
The organization participated in a HealthGrid rollout and used tablet-based and mobile tools to exchange information, support patient education and begin hospice admissions in the field.
Aftermath
The technology strengthened VITAS’s distributed-care workflow and contributed to later recognition for the social impact of its mobile application.
2004
Chemed acquires VITASM&ABackground
VITAS had developed from a South Florida nonprofit hospice into a broader provider of end-of-life services.
Action taken
Chemed Corporation acquired VITAS for $400 million and incorporated it into its healthcare business portfolio.
Aftermath
VITAS continued operating as a distinct hospice brand and expanded its multi-state service network under Chemed ownership.
Acquisition price. $400 million (2004)
Sources3 sources
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