Vitas Healthcare Corporation of California
A hospice in Fresno, California 93711
7485 N Palm Ave Suite 106, Fresno, California 93711. (559) 603-8100.
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The short answer
Record last released by CMS on Oct 23, 2026. We couldn’t read Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ list since Oct 27, 2026: qcor.cms.gov now refuses our reader. This record is as of then.
- 2 deficiencies cited in the last three years
- Not rated family caregiver rating
- Not available CMS’s Hospice Care Index
Each figure’s source sits beside it, in its section below.
What these words mean2
- Inspection (survey)
- A visit by state inspectors, often unannounced, who check a place against the rules it must meet. For nursing homes and other places Medicare pays, CMS calls these visits surveys: a standard survey of a nursing home comes at least every 15 months, and a complaint survey whenever a complaint calls for one. Source: CMS; 42 CFR 488.308.
- Deficiency, citation, violation
- What inspectors write up when a place didn’t meet a rule: the rule, what they saw, and when. CMS calls it a deficiency; states may say citation or violation. It is the inspectors’ finding, not a court’s, and the place is usually asked for a plan to correct it. Source: CMS, statement of deficiencies (Form CMS-2567); each state’s licensing agency.
What did inspectors find?
2 deficiencies cited in the last three years
The middle of the 30 hospices serving ZIP code 93711 had 6.
The last inspection on record was on Dec 5, 2024: an initial inspection by the Community Health Accreditation Partner.
CMS, QCOR hospice inspection reports. Released Oct 23, 2026. Updated quarterly.
CMS, Hospice ZIP Data. Released Aug 26, 2026. Updated quarterly.
When those deficiencies happened
2 deficiencies in 1 month of the last 36. Last cited Dec 2024. Most serious: Standard-level. The last 3 years, to Oct 27, 2026.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Nov | Dec | ||||||||||
| 2024 | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 2025 | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 2026 | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct |
Hover or focus a month to read it.
Hearth Record drew this from the dates and levels in the source’s own records.
Each deficiency, as cited
Rule titles as CMS’s inspectors cite them, set in sentence case.
CMS, QCOR hospice inspection reports. Released Oct 23, 2026. Updated quarterly.
Dec 5, 2024: initial inspection by the Community Health Accreditation Partner2 deficiencies
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Hospice aide assignments and duties (42 CFR 418.76(g)(4))
The inspectors’ words, 456 words
“It is required that hospice aides must report changes in the patient’s medical, nursing, rehabilitative, and/or social needs to a registered nurse as the changes relate to the plan of care and any quality assessment and improvement activities. The hospice aide must also complete appropriate records of service, including the report of changes in the patient’s needs. This standard was not met, as evidenced by clinical record review and interview. In 4 of 6 (67%) clinical records reviewed of patients who received Hospice Aide (HHA) services, the agency did not ensure that the Hospice Aide reported changes in the patient’s care needs to the Registered Nurse (RN) as changes related to the plan of care (POC). Clinical Record 1: The patient elected hospice care on 11/11/2024. The plan of care ordered HHA services two (2) times per week. The HHA care plan dated 11/12/2024 assigned the HHA the task of shampooing hair every visit. The HHA visit note dated 11/21/2024 documented “Not performed/declined” or shampooing hair. A clinical record review revealed no evidence that the HHA reported the change in the HHA care plan and the patient’s care needs to the RN. Clinical Record 3: The patient elected hospice care on 09/30/2024. The plan of care ordered HHA services three (3) times per week. The HHA care plan dated 11/01/2024 assigned the HHA the relevant task: apply lip balm every visit. The HHA visit note dated 11/12/2024 documented “Not performed/ declined” for applying lip balm. A clinical record review revealed no evidence that the HHA reported the change in the HHA care plan and the patient’s care needs to the RN. Clinical Record 8: The patient elected hospice care on 11/06/2024. The plan of care ordered HHA services one (1) time per week. The HHA care plan dated 11/07/2024 assigned the HHA the relevant task: shave every visit. The HHA visit note dated 11/07/2024 documented “Not performed/declined” for shaving. A clinical record review revealed no evidence that the HHA reported the change in the HHA care plan and the patient’s care needs to the RN. Clinical Record 12: The patient elected hospice care on 11/07/2024. The plan of care ordered HHA services three (3) times per week. The HHA care plan dated 11/08/2024 assigned the HHA the relevant task: shampoo hair every visit. The HHA visit note dated 11/12/2024 documented “Not performed/ declined” for shampooing the hair. A clinical record review revealed no evidence that the HHA reported the change in the HHA care plan and the patient’s care needs to the RN. The Administrator and Patient Care Administrator stated in an interview on 12/05/2024 that the HHA did not report changes in the patient’s needs to the RN as the changes related to the POC.”
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Discharge or transfer of care (42 CFR 418.104(e)(1)(i))
The inspectors’ words, 162 words
“It is required that if the care of a hospice patient is transferred to a Medicare/Medicaid certified facility, the hospice forwards to the receiving facility a copy of the hospice discharge summary described in HCDT 40.I; and the patient’s record, if requested. This standard was not met, as evidenced by clinical record review and interview. In 1 of 1 (100%) clinical record reviews of a patient who revoked the hospice benefit to seek aggressive treatment, the agency did not ensure that a copy of the discharge summary was forwarded to the receiving hospital. Clinical Record 9: The patient elected the hospice benefit on 11/30/2024 and requested to revoke it on 12/01/2024 to seek aggressive treatment in a hospital. The clinical record did not include evidence that the agency forwarded the discharge summary to the receiving hospital. The Administrator and Patient Care Administrator stated in an interview on 12/05/2024 that the agency did not send the hospice discharge summary to the receiving hospital.”
The one inspection in the last three years
| Date | Visit | What the record says |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 5, 2024 | Initial inspection by the Community Health Accreditation Partner | 2 deficiencies cited |
Is it certified?
- Medicare-certified hospice since Dec 12, 2024.
- CMS doesn’t list its type of ownership.
- No For hospices, home health agencies, hospitals and dialysis facilities, CMS writes deficiencies at two levels. Standard is the usual one; condition-level is the more serious, when a problem is serious enough that the provider doesn’t meet a whole condition of taking part in Medicare. Source: CMS, State Operations Manual. deficiency or CMS’s most serious finding: the place’s failure to meet a rule caused, or was likely to cause, serious injury, harm, impairment or death to someone in its care. Source: CMS; 42 CFR 489.3. on record in the last three years.
CMS, Hospice General Information. Released Aug 26, 2026. Updated quarterly.
CMS, QCOR hospice inspection reports. Released Oct 23, 2026. Updated quarterly.
Has anything been proven against it?
- CMS doesn’t publish fines or other penalties for hospices, so none are shown.
- 0 deficiencies cited in the last three years came from inspections that included a complaint investigation.
CMS, QCOR hospice inspection reports. Released Oct 23, 2026. Updated quarterly.
Who does the caring?
- CMS hasn’t published nursing time from Medicare claims for this hospice.
CMS, Hospice Provider Data. Released Aug 26, 2026. Updated quarterly.
Who owns it?
- Vitas Hospice Services, LLC owns 100% directly since Apr 27, 2001.
- 9 owners or officers are people: Kevin Mcnamara (corporate director, 33%); Sandhya K Bhalla-Regev (managing employee (on the payroll), 0%); Joel Wherley (corporate officer, 0%); Joel Wherley (corporate director, 0%); Alexander Fernandez (corporate officer, 0%); Michael Witzeman (corporate officer, 0%); Brenton Fisher (managing employee (on the payroll), 0%); Brian Judkins (corporate officer, 0%); Brian Judkins (corporate director, 0%).
- No private-equity firm among the owners CMS lists.
- No real-estate investment trust among the owners CMS lists.
CMS, Hospice All Owners and Hospice Enrollments. Released Sep 29, 2026. Updated quarterly.
| Organisation | Role | Share | Since |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chemed Corporation | Owns 5% or more through other companies | 100% | Apr 27, 2001 |
| Comfort CARE Holdings Company | Owns 5% or more through other companies | 100% | Apr 27, 2001 |
| Vitas Hospice Services, LLC | Owns 5% or more directly | 100% | Apr 27, 2001 |
| Vitas Healthcare Corporation | Owns 5% or more through other companies | 100% | Apr 27, 2001 |
What do families say?
- CMS gives no family caregiver survey rating: “The number of cases is too small to report Star Ratings.”
- CMS gives no Hospice Care Index for this hospice.
CMS, CAHPS Hospice Survey and Hospice Provider Data. Released Aug 26, 2026. Updated quarterly.
How does it compare nearby?
- Of the 30 hospices CMS’s data show serving patients in ZIP code 93711, where this hospice’s office is, the middle number of deficiencies cited in the last three years was 6; this one had 2.
CMS, Hospice ZIP Data. Released Aug 26, 2026. Updated quarterly.
CMS, QCOR hospice inspection reports. Released Oct 23, 2026. Updated quarterly.
| Place | Deficiencies, 3 years |
|---|---|
| Hinds Hospice - Fresno | 3 |
| Bristol Hospice Fresno | 4 |
| Athena Hospice | 17 |
| Lenity Hospice LLC | 14 |
| Compassionate Care Hospice Central California, LLC | 4 |
| Fresno Hospice | 5 |
| Vitas Healthcare Corporation of California This hospice | 2 |
| Saint Agnes Home Health & Hospice | 6 |
| Aseracare Hospice | 6 |
| Bright Horizon Hospice Services | 19 |
| St Mary’s Hospice Services, Inc. | 19 |
| Ardent Hospice of Fresno | 23 |
What the record doesn’t say
- CMS doesn’t publish fines or other penalties for hospices, so none are shown.
- Only complaints that led to a citation appear; complaints that didn’t aren’t published.
- CMS ended its Special Focus Program for hospices with serious problems on Feb 14, 2025, so no hospice is marked as one.
- Hospice quality measures have a gap from October 2025: CMS replaced its patient assessment then, and public results from the new one (HOPE) are expected around November 2027.
Sources
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Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Hospice General Information (yc9t-dgbk).
Released Aug 26, 2026 and checked Oct 27, 2026. Updated quarterly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
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Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Hospice Provider Data (252m-zfp9).
Released Aug 26, 2026 and checked Oct 27, 2026. Updated quarterly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
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Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CAHPS Hospice Survey (gxki-hrr8).
Released Aug 26, 2026 and checked Oct 27, 2026. Updated quarterly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
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Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, QCOR hospice inspection reports (Hospice Survey Reports - Oct 2021 through Sep 2026.xlsx).
Released Oct 23, 2026 and checked Oct 27, 2026. Updated quarterly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
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Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Hospice All Owners (e983965e-1603-4cb8-82b5-c40090e380d1).
Released Sep 29, 2026 and checked Oct 27, 2026. Updated quarterly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
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Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Hospice Enrollments (25704213-e833-4b8b-9dbc-58dd17149209).
Released Sep 29, 2026 and checked Oct 27, 2026. Updated quarterly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
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Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Hospice ZIP Data (95rg-2usp).
Released Aug 26, 2026 and checked Oct 27, 2026. Updated quarterly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
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This copy of the record was made on Oct 27, 2026.
From the hospice
The public record above comes first. Anything the hospice adds will appear here, below it, and say who wrote it.
Replies
None. Replies aren’t open yet. When they open, the hospice will be able to answer any finding for free, and the reply will show beside that finding, unedited and dated.
Paid listing
None. Paid listings aren’t open yet. When they open, anything paid for will say “Paid by the hospice”, and paying will never change a finding, a rating or the order of results.