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HospiceNorth Carolina › Wilmington

Lower Cape Fear Lifecare

Hospice in Wilmington, North Carolina · CCN 341515

Contact and basics

  • Address1414 Physicians Drive -
    Wilmington, NC 28401
  • Phone(910) 796-7900
  • CMS certification number341515
  • Ownership typeNon-Profit
  • Medicare-certified since04/24/1987
  • CountyNew Hanover

Hospice Care Index

10 out of 10

CMS builds this single score out of ten separate indicators drawn from claims. A provider earns a point for each indicator where it is not an outlier against national thresholds. This one scores at or near the top of the scale.

IndicatorThis providerRead as
Visits near death96.8%higher is better
Gaps in nursing visits49.8%lower is better
Early live discharges9.6%lower is better
Late live discharges40.4%lower is better
Burdensome transitions, Type 13.5%lower is better
Burdensome transitions, Type 21.1%lower is better
Skilled nursing minutes on weekends7.6%higher is better
Nurse care minutes per routine home care days15.30 minhigher is better
CHC/GIP provided4.3%higher is better
Per-beneficiary spending$11,614context, not a quality score

Why live discharges matter. Hospice is for people expected to die within six months. A patient leaving hospice alive is sometimes the right outcome — they got better, or chose to resume curative treatment. But an unusually high rate can also indicate patients were enrolled who did not qualify, or were discharged when their care became expensive. CMS publishes early and late live-discharge rates for exactly this reason. Treat a high number as a question to ask, not a verdict.

What families said

★★★★★ 5/5 family survey rating

Survey questionFamilies answering "always" / top box
Rated this hospice 9 or 10 out of 1091.0%
Would definitely recommend94.0%
Family member treated with respect95.0%
Got the emotional and spiritual support they wanted94.0%

CAHPS Hospice Survey, completed by caregivers after the patient's death. Providers with too few responses are not scored.

Care practices at admission

PracticePatients receiving it
Composite process measure (all seven care practices)99.8%
Pain screening100.0%
Pain assessment100.0%
Shortness-of-breath screening100.0%
Shortness-of-breath treatment99.8%
Bowel regimen for patients on opioids100.0%
Treatment preferences documented100.0%
Beliefs and values addressed100.0%

Share of patients for whom the provider documented each practice. These are process measures — they record whether something was done, not how well.

Who this hospice serves

Average daily census: 468 patients.

Where care was delivered

  • Patient's home65.0%
  • Assisted living facility12.0%
  • Nursing facility17.0%
  • Skilled nursing facility1.0%
  • Inpatient hospice facility5.0%
  • Inpatient hospital0.0%

Primary diagnosis mix

  • Dementia19.0%
  • Cancer29.0%
  • Circulatory / heart disease14.0%
  • Respiratory disease9.0%
  • Stroke12.0%
  • Other conditions18.0%

Who owns this hospice

OwnerRoleShareAssociated sinceCMS type flags
LOWER CAPE FEAR HOSPICE INCORPORATEDOPERATIONAL/MANAGERIAL CONTROL11/28/2007
ALTHEA JOHNSONCORPORATE DIRECTOR10/1/2023
CRYSTAL DODSONCORPORATE DIRECTOR9/1/2022
DERIC WEISSW-2 MANAGING EMPLOYEE7/1/2024
DONNA ESTEVESCORPORATE DIRECTOR10/1/2023
GLEN DONOVANCORPORATE DIRECTOR1/1/2017
GRANT RUSHCORPORATE DIRECTOR9/1/2022
GWENDOLYN WHITLEYCORPORATE OFFICER10/17/2016
GWENDOLYN WHITLEYW-2 MANAGING EMPLOYEE10/17/2016
JASON PISANIW-2 MANAGING EMPLOYEE9/1/2024
KATHERINE DANIELCORPORATE OFFICER10/1/2023
MARY BETH WINSTEADCORPORATE OFFICER10/1/2023
MELISSA COMBSW-2 MANAGING EMPLOYEE10/17/2016
ROBERT RESHCORPORATE DIRECTOR10/1/2016
TIMOTHY KINGW-2 MANAGING EMPLOYEE7/22/2019

Source: CMS Hospice All Owners file, linked to this provider through its Medicare enrollment record. Medicare's Care Compare does not present ownership in this form.

Other hospices in Wilmington

All hospices in North Carolina →

Where these records come from

Everything on this page is reproduced from the CMS Provider Data Catalog (July 2026 release) and, where shown, the CMS ownership and Medicare enrollment files. Nothing here is a rating or opinion of ours. If you believe a figure is wrong, email data@carerecords.org with the CCN and we verify against the official file within 5 business days.

How to cite this page: CareRecords, "Lower Cape Fear Lifecare — hospice records, Wilmington, NC." Compiled from the CMS Provider Data Catalog (July 2026 release), CCN 341515. https://carerecords.org/hospice/north-carolina/lower-cape-fear-lifecare-wilmington/