LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – In a move to strengthen patient care and bereavement services in Lake County, the board of directors of Hospice Services of Lake County voted on Thursday, Dec. 17, to outsource much of its routine administrative work.

The decision came after months of planning and strategizing on how Hospice Services will meet the increase in mandated reporting and other requirements from Medicare, while not diminishing its services to the community.

Over the last few years, Medicare has increased administrative requirements for Hospice Services agencies, but not increased funding to match.

Without changes, these administrative burdens, would cut into funds previously directed towards patient care.

“These requirements without offsetting reimbursement puts a strain on hospices like ours,” said Corrigan Gommenginger, executive director of Hospice Services of Lake County, “these mandates take funds away from patient care, which is against what this organization has been about for over 35 years.”

There has been a push nationwide for hospice agencies to create shared services with each other to make independent, non-profit agencies like HSLC stronger and maintain focus on patient care.

Through the Northern California Hospice Coalition, of which Hospice Services of Lake County is a member, Gommenginger was able to contract with another hospice agency to provide oversight of the finance and human resource functions of the agency.

Four administrative positions have been eliminated. Gommenginger planned a period of transition during the six weeks following the vote to give time to finalize open projects and reassign tasks and duties previously handled by the administrative professionals.

He stated that this arrangement does not symbolize any agency shortcomings or failures, or any sort of merger.

The changes, while difficult, are a sign of leadership on the part of the organization to adapt to the changes in its industry and better prepare Hospice Services of Lake County for the future.