Ascend Hospice
A hospice in Lees Summit, Missouri 64064
783 NE Anderson Lane, Lees Summit, Missouri 64064. (816) 584-8111.
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The short answer
Record last released by CMS on Oct 23, 2026.
- 2 deficiencies cited in the last three years
- 4of 5 family caregiver rating
- 9of 10 CMS’s Hospice Care Index
Each figure’s source sits beside it, in its section below.
What these words mean3
- Star ratings
- CMS rates some kinds of place from 1 to 5 stars, more stars meaning better on CMS’s own measures for that kind: for a nursing home, its health inspections, staffing and quality measures. A rating is CMS’s summary of those measures; it doesn’t promise good care. Source: CMS, Care Compare and the Five-Star Quality Rating System.
- 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 35 hospices serving ZIP code 64064 had 7.
The last inspection on record was on Jun 17, 2026: a complaint inspection by the state.
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 Aug 2025. 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.
Aug 1, 2025: initial inspection by the Community Health Accreditation Partner2 deficiencies
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Level of activity (42 CFR 418.78(e))
The inspectors’ words, 149 words
“It is required that hospice volunteers provide day-to-day administrative or direct patient care services in an amount that, at a minimum, equals five percent (5%) of the total patient care hours of all paid hospice employees and contract staff. This standard was not met as evidenced by document review and interview. Document 1: The review of the 2024 Hospice Volunteer Requirement Report revealed that the volunteer percentage of hours worked for January 2024 through December 2024 was 0.85%. The review of the 2025 Hospice Volunteer Requirement Report revealed that the volunteer percentage of hours worked for January 2025 through July 2025 was 1.41%. In an interview with the Volunteer Supervisor on 07/31/2025, she agreed that the 5% minimum was not met for the year of 2024. She stated, “They have a lot more volunteers available now and should be close to the percentages by the end of the year.””
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Discharge or transfer of care (42 CFR 418.104(e)(1)(i))
The inspectors’ words, 330 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. This standard was not met as evidenced by clinical record review and interview. In 1 of 1 (100%) clinical record reviewed, of a patient that was transferred, it was revealed that the agency did not ensure that a discharge summary was provided to the facility upon discharge POLICY: Policy #PC. T10, titled, Transfer of a Hospice Patient, stated in part: “Transfer procedures are initiated when a patient requests or needs admission to an inpatient facility, skilled nursing facility, assisted living facility, a hospice residence, or another hospice or health care provider. A written discharge summary is prepared for the receiving provider that includes, at a minimum: the reason for the transfer: a summary of the patient’s stay including treatments, symptoms and pain management: a copy of the patient’s current plan of care; the patient’s latest physician orders; documentation related to a face-to-face encounter with the patient if the patient is in his/her third or later benefit period and is transferring to a different hospice program; and any other documentation that will assist in post-transfer continuity of care.” CLINICAL RECORD 19: The patient elected the hospice benefit on 09/11/2024. The patient requested a revocation on 10/06/2024 to be admitted to the hospital for additional care. The patient was seen by the registered nurse on 10/06/2024 for a discharge visit. The record lacked evidence that a discharge summary being sent to the facility where the patient was receiving care. During joint clinical record reviews and an interview on 07/29/2025 with the Clinical Director (PR 11), she agreed that the record lacked evidence that the discharge summary was sent to the facility after discharge from hospice. She stated, “This happened on a weekend, and they did not communicate this to the office, so the discharge could be sent to the facility”.”
All 4 inspections in the last three years
| Date | Visit | What the record says |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 17, 2026 | Complaint inspection by the state | No deficiencies cited |
| Aug 26, 2025 | Complaint inspection by the state | No deficiencies cited |
| Aug 1, 2025 | Initial inspection by the Community Health Accreditation Partner | 2 deficiencies cited |
| Jul 9, 2024 | Complaint inspection by the state | No deficiencies cited |
Is it certified?
- Medicare-certified hospice since Jul 1, 2004.
- Ownership: other.
- 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?
- From Medicare claims (Jan 1, 2023 to Dec 31, 2024): 18.6 nurse care minutes per routine home care day, 6.8% of skilled nursing minutes at weekends and a visit near death for 96.5% of patients who died.
- Where its patients were cared for (Jan 1, 2024 to Dec 31, 2024): 14% at home, 46% in assisted living, 36% in a nursing facility, 5% in a skilled nursing facility.
CMS, Hospice Provider Data. Released Aug 26, 2026. Updated quarterly.
| Measure | This provider |
|---|---|
| Nurse care minutes per routine home care day | 18.6 min |
| Skilled nursing minutes at weekends | 6.8% |
| Visits near death | 96.5% of patients who died |
Who owns it?
- Care Alternatives Hospice Services, LLC owns 100% directly since Jan 18, 2012.
- 11 owners or officers are people: Christopher B Geha (corporate director, 100%); Robin Spagnoli (managing employee (on the payroll), 100%); Robin Spagnoli (runs it (operational or managerial control), 100%); Victoria Santos (managing employee (on the payroll), 100%); Victoria Santos (runs it (operational or managerial control), 100%); Daniel E Straus (owns 5% or more through other companies, 34.6%); Joseph D Mark (owns 5% or more through other companies, 7.5%); Moshael Straus (owns 5% or more through other companies, 6.3%); David Baruch (corporate officer); David Baruch (managing employee (on the payroll)); David Baruch (runs it (operational or managerial control)).
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Care Solutions, LLC | Owns 5% or more through other companies | 100% | Jan 18, 2012 |
| Care Alternatives Hospice Services, LLC | Owns 5% or more directly | 100% | Jan 18, 2012 |
| Hrp Capital, Inc. | Owns 5% or more through other companies | 100% | Jan 1, 2022 |
| Health Resource Partner LLC | Owns 5% or more through other companies | 100% | Jan 1, 2022 |
| North American Medical Management -New Jersey Inc. | Owns 5% or more through other companies | 71.9% | Jan 1, 2022 |
| Care One Ancillary Holdings, LLC | Owns 5% or more through other companies | 28.09% | Jan 1, 2022 |
What do families say?
- Family caregivers rate it 4 of 5 in CMS’s survey (Oct 1, 2023 to Sep 30, 2025): 87% rated it 9 or 10 out of 10, and 90% would definitely recommend it.
- CMS’s Hospice Care Index: 9 of 10 (Jan 1, 2023 to Dec 31, 2024).
- 95.94% of patients were assessed on all seven of CMS’s measures at the start of care (Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025); 74% had visits from a nurse or social worker on at least 2 of their last 3 days (Jan 1, 2023 to Dec 31, 2024).
CMS, CAHPS Hospice Survey and Hospice Provider Data. Released Aug 26, 2026. Updated quarterly.
| Measure | Rating |
|---|---|
| Family caregiver survey ratingCMS star rating from its survey of patients’ family caregivers, 1 to 5 | 4 of 5 |
| Hospice Care IndexCMS’s Hospice Care Index, 0 to 10 (higher is better): a point for each of ten measures from Medicare claims on which the hospice meets CMS’s threshold | 9 of 10 |
How does it compare nearby?
- Of the 35 hospices CMS’s data show serving patients in ZIP code 64064, where this hospice’s office is, the middle number of deficiencies cited in the last three years was 7; 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 |
|---|---|
| Ascend Hospice This hospice | 2 |
| Compassus-Greater Kansas City | 0 |
| Hospice By John Knox Village | 7 |
| Enhabit Hospice | 9 |
| Ahc Home Health of Kansas, LLC (Hospice) | 8 |
| Faith Hospice Care | 5 |
| Kansas City Hospice and Palliative Care | 10 |
| Saint Luke’s Hospice | 0 |
| Mosaic Life Care Hospice | 3 |
| Three Oaks Hospice | 3 |
| Gentiva | 8 |
| Heartland Hospice (Kansas City) | 14 |
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
-
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).
If you believe something here is wrong, a correction starts with the agency whose record this copies: CMS. CMS’s own record is on Care Compare. If Hearth Record copied something wrongly, it will fix it and log the correction publicly, with its date: how corrections work.
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.