Windber Hospice has earned a five-star Family Caregiver Survey rating – the highest possible – on Medicare’s Care Compare website. Of the 179 hospice agencies listed in Pennsylvania, just 24 currently hold the five-star distinction.
The rating is based on the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®) Hospice Survey, a national survey of family members or friends who cared for a patient who died while receiving hospice care. Survey results are publicly reported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and are intended to help patients and families compare hospice providers.
“This five-star rating is especially meaningful because it reflects the experiences of the families we have had the privilege to serve,” said Ginger Taylor, Windber Hospice Director. “Families place an incredible amount of trust in us during a very personal and difficult time in their lives. Our entire team is committed to being there when they need us and providing the compassionate, respectful care that every patient and family deserves.”
Current Care Compare results show strong scores across the individual areas measured by the Family Caregiver Survey, including 95% for treating patients with respect, 95% for emotional and spiritual support, 92% for willingness to recommend Windber Hospice and 89% for overall rating of the hospice. Windber Hospice also scored 87% for both communication with families and getting timely help.
The CAHPS Hospice Survey examines several aspects of the family’s experience, including communication with the hospice team, timely assistance, treating patients with dignity and respect, emotional and spiritual support, help with pain and symptoms, the overall rating of hospice care and willingness to recommend the hospice.
In addition to family caregiver experience, Medicare Care Compare reports separate measures related to the quality of patient care. Windber Hospice earned a perfect 10 out of 10 Hospice Care Index score, compared with a Pennsylvania average of 9 and a national average of 8.8.
Windber Hospice also scored particularly well in care provided near the end of life. 78.3% of patients received an in-person visit from a registered nurse or medical social worker on at least two of their final three days of life, compared with 59.9% statewide and 48.3% nationally.
The Hospice Care Index is a CMS quality measure based on Medicare claims and incorporates 10 indicators reflecting different aspects of care throughout a patient’s hospice stay. Scores range from zero to 10, with 10 being the highest possible score.
“These results reflect what our Hospice team demonstrates every day – a commitment to providing exceptional, compassionate care to patients and families throughout our community. To receive the highest possible family caregiver rating while also performing so strongly on measures of patient care is something our entire organization can be proud of,” said Richard Sukenik, CEO of Chan Soon-Shiong Medical Center at Windber.
As a non-profit hospice provider, Windber Hospice provides care and support to patients and families throughout Somerset and Cambria counties and portions of Blair, Indiana and Westmoreland counties. Its interdisciplinary team works with patients and families to provide individualized care focused on comfort, dignity and quality of life.
The five-star recognition adds to other recent honors for Windber Hospice. The organization received a 2025 SHPBest™ Superior Performer Award, placing it among the top 20% of SHP clients nationally for overall caregiver satisfaction. Most recently, Windber Hospice was also voted the 2026 Simply the Best Nursing Agency by readers of The Tribune-Democrat.
Medicare Care Compare allows consumers to review and compare Medicare-certified hospice providers using family caregiver experience and quality-of-care measures. CMS currently uses hospice-submitted assessment data, Medicare claims and the CAHPS Hospice Survey to calculate publicly reported hospice quality measures.
About Windber Hospice
Windber Hospice at Chan Soon-Shiong Medical Center at Windber is a nonprofit, community-based hospice provider committed to delivering compassionate, holistic end-of-life care. Founded in 1977 by Dr. Earl Shope, Windber Hospice was the first hospice program in the state of Pennsylvania and the first rurally oriented hospice in the country. Windber Hospice offers inpatient care, home-based services, and bereavement support designed to meet patients and families wherever they choose to spend their time together.
About Chan Soon-Shiong Medical Center at Windber
Founded in 1906, Chan Soon-Shiong Medical Center at Windber (CSSMCW) is an independent, non-profit acute care hospital in northern Somerset County, bordering Cambria County. The 54-bed hospital shares a campus and collaborates with Chan Soon-Shiong Institute of Molecular Medicine at Windber (CSSIMMW), a private, non-profit biomedical research center. With more than 450 employees, CSSMCW is the fourth largest employer in Somerset County. CSSMCW’s mission is to provide excellence in personalized, quality health care services through innovation, research and education in response to community needs. For more information visit www.windbercare.org.