Hospice Austin
A hospice in Austin, Texas 78759
4107 Spicewood Springs Rd Ste #100, Austin, Texas 78759. (512) 342-4700.
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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
- 10of 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 47 hospices serving ZIP code 78759 had 3.
The last inspection on record was on Apr 2, 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 Apr 2025. Most serious: Standard-level. The last 3 years, to Nov 5, 2026.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 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 | Nov |
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.
Apr 16, 2025: reaccreditation inspection by the Community Health Accreditation Partner2 deficiencies
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Content of comprehensive assessment (42 CFR 418.54(c)(6)(ii))
The inspectors’ words, 273 words
“It is required that the documented comprehensive assessment includes a drug profile that contains the patient’s current: Prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs; Supplements; Herbal remedies; Other alternative treatments that could affect drug therapy. The medication review process includes the identification of the following: The effectiveness of drug therapy; Drug side effects; Actual or potential drug interactions; Duplicate drug therapy; Drug therapy associated with laboratory monitoring. The assessment includes evidence that common side effects of medication in the hospice populations are anticipated, and as appropriate, preventive measurements are implemented to manage the side effects. The drug profile is updated per the hospice policy and procedure, but, at minimum, at the time of each comprehensive assessment and/or when new medication is added or changes are made to existing medication. This standard was not met as evidenced by clinical record review and interview. In 1 of 30 (3%) clinical records reviewed, it was revealed that the agency did not ensure the medication profile was updated with a full review of all medications that the patient was taking. CLINICAL RECORD 14: The hospice benefit of the election was on 09/11/2024 with a diagnosis of esophageal obstruction. The updated nursing assessment, dated 03/24/2025, documented that the patient was using oxygen prn (as needed). All updated assessments through 04/10/2025 documented the use of oxygen prn. The medication profile did not include oxygen or a review of oxygen for side effects. During a joint record review on 04/15/2025, the Quality Manager agreed that the medication profile had not been updated to include all current medications and that the review of medications for interactions was accomplished through the medication profile setting.”
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Content of plan of care (42 CFR 418.56(c))
The inspectors’ words, 332 words
“It is required that each patient’s individualized written plan of care Identify planned interventions based on problems identified in the initial and updated comprehensive assessments. This standard was not met as evidenced by clinical record review and interview. In 3 of 27 (11%) clinical records reviewed, for routine hospice patients, it was revealed that the agency did not ensure that the plan of care included interventions for problems identified in the initial and updated comprehensive assessments. CLINICAL RECORD 4: The hospice benefit of election was on 08/10/2022 for a diagnosis of cerebral vascular accident and dementia. The initial comprehensive assessment (08/10/2022) documented aspiration precaution and assistance needed with feeding. Updated nursing assessments documented use of thickened liquids, need for feeding, and monitoring of weight by the facility. The initial plan of care and updated plans of care, to include the documented updates every two weeks, did not include any interventions for these nutrition problems as of the review on 04/15/2025. CLINICAL RECORD 14: The hospice benefit of the election was on 09/11/2024 with a diagnosis of esophageal obstruction. The updated nursing assessment, dated 03/24/2025, documented that the patient was using oxygen prn (as needed). All updated assessments through 04/10/2025 documented the use of oxygen prn. The plans of care, to include the documented updates every two weeks, did not include any respiratory interventions or oxygen interventions, as of the review on 04/15/2025. CLINICAL RECORD 18: The Hospice benefit of election was 01/16/2025. with primary diagnosis of heart disease, and CHF (congestive heart failure). On 01/20/2025 there was a physician order for oxygen 1-2 liters per nasal cannula for increased shortness of breath. Documentation revealed the patient was using it especially at night. The plan of care, effective 01/16/2025 to current, and the documented updates every two weeks, were not updated with interventions for the oxygen, as of the review on 04/15/2025. During a joint record review on 04/15/2025, the Quality Manager stated that the interventions for the problems identified were not documented.”
All 3 inspections in the last three years
| Date | Visit | What the record says |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 2, 2026 | Complaint inspection by the state | No deficiencies cited |
| Apr 16, 2025 | Reaccreditation inspection by the Community Health Accreditation Partner | 2 deficiencies cited |
| Apr 1, 2024 | Complaint inspection by the state | No deficiencies cited |
Is it certified?
- Medicare-certified hospice since Dec 5, 1986.
- Ownership: non-profit.
- 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): 18.9 nurse care minutes per routine home care day, 8.8% of skilled nursing minutes at weekends and a visit near death for 92.8% of patients who died.
- Where its patients were cared for (Jan 1, 2024 to Dec 31, 2024): 61% at home, 18% in assisted living, 17% in a nursing facility, 1% in a hospital, 2% in an inpatient hospice.
CMS, Hospice Provider Data. Released Aug 26, 2026. Updated quarterly.
| Measure | This provider |
|---|---|
| Nurse care minutes per routine home care day | 18.9 min |
| Skilled nursing minutes at weekends | 8.8% |
| Visits near death | 92.8% of patients who died |
Who owns it?
- Hospice Austin runs it.
- 63 owners or officers are people: Christine Steckel (managing employee (on the payroll), 0%); Christine Steckel (runs it (operational or managerial control), 0%); Pamela Crowther (managing employee (on the payroll), 0%); Pamela Crowther (runs it (operational or managerial control), 0%); Sylvia Maggio (corporate officer, 0%); Sylvia Maggio (corporate director, 0%); Shelton Green (corporate director, 0%); Robin Clemons (managing employee (on the payroll), 0%); Robin Clemons (runs it (operational or managerial control), 0%); Herbert Dyer (corporate officer, 0%); Herbert Dyer (managing employee (on the payroll), 0%); Herbert Dyer (runs it (operational or managerial control), 0%); Erica Ochoa (managing employee (on the payroll), 0%); Erica Ochoa (runs it (operational or managerial control), 0%); Michele Robinson Gregory (corporate officer, 0%); Michele Robinson Gregory (corporate director, 0%); Oscar Robinson (corporate director, 0%); Leroy V Perez (managing employee (on the payroll), 0%); Leroy V Perez (runs it (operational or managerial control), 0%); Susana Morales (corporate director, 0%); Michael Bahuchet (managing employee (on the payroll), 0%); Michael Bahuchet (runs it (operational or managerial control), 0%); Diana Wagner (managing employee (on the payroll), 0%); Diana Wagner (runs it (operational or managerial control), 0%); Keisha Jones (managing employee (on the payroll), 0%); Keisha Jones (runs it (operational or managerial control), 0%); Lisa Elliott Trahan (corporate director, 0%); Hillary Larina Jones (managing employee (on the payroll), 0%); Hillary Larina Jones (runs it (operational or managerial control), 0%); Frank Cedeno (corporate director, 0%); Ronald Matsuda (managing employee (on the payroll), 0%); Ronald Matsuda (runs it (operational or managerial control), 0%); Susan Phillips (corporate director, 0%); Kristi Lin Mahaffey Tindall (managing employee (on the payroll), 0%); Kristi Lin Mahaffey Tindall (runs it (operational or managerial control), 0%); Brian Addison Aslin (corporate director, 0%); Albert Lin (corporate director, 0%); Sandra Lynn Frellsen (managing employee (on the payroll), 0%); Sandra Lynn Frellsen (runs it (operational or managerial control), 0%); Jetta Todaro (corporate director, 0%); Koreana Chanterelle (managing employee (on the payroll), 0%); Koreana Chanterelle (runs it (operational or managerial control), 0%); Lauren King Shugart (managing employee (on the payroll), 0%); Lauren King Shugart (runs it (operational or managerial control), 0%); Ariel Binjour (managing employee (on the payroll)); Ariel Binjour (runs it (operational or managerial control), 0%); Juliana Harris (corporate director, 0%); Ray Mungia (corporate director, 0%); Christina D Remus (managing employee (on the payroll), 0%); Christina D Remus (runs it (operational or managerial control), 0%); Jocelyn Johnson (corporate officer, 0%); Jocelyn Johnson (corporate director, 0%); David Owen (managing employee (on the payroll), 0%); David Owen (runs it (operational or managerial control), 0%); Bing Ai (managing employee (on the payroll), 0%); Bing Ai (runs it (operational or managerial control), 0%); Kevin Kaylakie (corporate director, 0%); Sylvia Pin Bell (managing employee (on the payroll), 0%); Sylvia Pin Bell (runs it (operational or managerial control), 0%); Julie Whittenburg (corporate director, 0%); Cynthia Duggins (corporate director, 0%); Kathryn Elizabeth Hudson (corporate director, 0%); Harmony Abshire (managing employee (on the payroll), 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hospice Austin | Runs it (operational or managerial control) | 100% | Aug 20, 1996 |
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: 10 of 10 (Jan 1, 2023 to Dec 31, 2024).
- 92.89% of patients were assessed on all seven of CMS’s measures at the start of care (Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025); 56.4% 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 | 10 of 10 |
How does it compare nearby?
- Of the 47 hospices CMS’s data show serving patients in ZIP code 78759, where this hospice’s office is, the middle number of deficiencies cited in the last three years was 3; 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 |
|---|---|
| Hospice Austin This hospice | 2 |
| Embrace Hospice | 1 |
| Amedisys Hospice | 6 |
| Halcyon Home LLC | 1 |
| Suncrest Hospice | 4 |
| Carefor Hospice, LLC | 3 |
| Gentiva | 11 |
| Three Oaks Hospice | 9 |
| New Century Hospice of Austin | 9 |
| Heart to Heart Hospice of Austin Ltd | 5 |
| Accentcare Hospice & Palliative Care - Austin | 6 |
| Beacon Hospice of Austin | 21 |
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 Nov 5, 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 Nov 5, 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 Nov 5, 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 Nov 5, 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 Nov 5, 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 Nov 5, 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 Nov 5, 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.