Arkansas Hospice takes in LifeTouch

LifeTouch Hospice of El Dorado will become part of the Arkansas Hospice network, the state’s largest nonprofit provider of hospice care, the organizations announced Thursday. The agreement is effective immediately.

The partnership will expand Arkansas Hospice’s network to five counties in south Arkansas, giving the health care provider operations in 48 counties, up from 43.

“LifeTouch Hospice has a wonderful reputation for providing high quality, patient-centered care, and we look forward to learning, growing, and serving together for many years to come,” said Judy Wooten, president and chief executive officer of Arkansas Hospice.

Officials said the agreement will strengthen the organizations’ nonprofit missions as they adjust to revamped policies related to how Medicare covers and pays for hospice care. Those pending changes have led to consolidation of rural hospice companies.

LifeTouch has been part of the Share Foundation, founded in El Dorado in 1996 to enhance wellness in rural communities. Arkansas Hospice will continue to provide care in the area from offices in El Dorado and Magnolia.