Hospice Sunset
A hospice in Clifton, Texas 76634
1315 W 5th Street, Clifton, Texas 76634. (254) 675-3391.
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The short answer
Record last released by CMS on Oct 23, 2026.
- 1 deficiency cited in the last three years
- Not rated family caregiver rating
- 9of 10 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?
1 deficiency cited in the last three years
The middle of the 19 hospices serving ZIP code 76634 had 7.
The last inspection on record was on Jul 25, 2024: a recertification 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
1 deficiency in 1 month of the last 36. Last cited Jul 2024. 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.
Jul 25, 2024: recertification inspection by the state1 deficiency
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Services (42 CFR 418.100(c)(1))
The inspectors’ words, 165 words
“Based on record review and interview, the agency failed to be primarily engaged in providing services: 1) Volunteer services This failure placed the agencys active clients at risk for inadequate hospice services. The findings included: Review of the agencys volunteer record revealed that the agency has no volunteers on staff. Further review of the agencys volunteer record revealed that the agency has had no volunteers on staff for 2023. During an interview with the Administrator on 7/22/2024 at 2:30 p.m., the Administrator stated that the agency has been having issues with recruitment for volunteer services but is currently devising a plan for recruitment. The Administrator further stated that she is the Volunteer Coordinator for the agency. A Review of the agencys policy titled, “;Volunteer Services” no date, revealed, “;Hospice shall use volunteer to provide assistance in the Hospices ancillary and office activities, as well as in direct patient care services...the ...Volunteer Coordinator develops, implements and evaluates the volunteer services program regularly and at least annually.””
The one inspection in the last three years
| Date | Visit | What the record says |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 25, 2024 | Recertification inspection by the state | 1 deficiency cited |
Is it certified?
- Medicare-certified hospice since Jan 24, 2007.
- 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): 9.4 nurse care minutes per routine home care day, 10.2% 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): 36% at home, 64% in a nursing facility.
CMS, Hospice Provider Data. Released Aug 26, 2026. Updated quarterly.
| Measure | This provider |
|---|---|
| Nurse care minutes per routine home care day | 9.4 min |
| Skilled nursing minutes at weekends | 10.2% |
| Visits near death | 92.8% of patients who died |
Who owns it?
- Lutheran Sunset Ministries owns 100% directly since Mar 12, 2015.
- 19 owners or officers are people: Joyce Symank (corporate officer); Jenny Walker (corporate officer); Michele Lloyd (managing employee (on the payroll)); Nancy Bratcher (corporate officer); Albert Herzog (corporate officer); Larissa Montes (corporate officer); Adam Williams (corporate officer); Phyllis Gamble (corporate officer); Sandra Windsor (corporate officer); Paul Edge (corporate officer); Richard Krupika (corporate officer); Rodney Rueter (corporate officer); Rodney Rueter (corporate director); Rodney Rueter (managing employee (on the payroll)); Jimmy Hanes (corporate officer); Pat Dietrich (corporate officer); Deborah Pollei (corporate officer); Gary L Becker (corporate officer); Gene Miller (corporate officer).
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lutheran Sunset Ministries | Owns 5% or more directly | 100% | Mar 12, 2015 |
What do families say?
- CMS gives no family caregiver survey rating: “The number of cases is too small to report Star Ratings.”
- In CMS’s survey of family caregivers (Oct 1, 2023 to Sep 30, 2025): 83% rated it 9 or 10 out of 10, and 95% would definitely recommend it.
- CMS’s Hospice Care Index: 9 of 10 (Jan 1, 2023 to Dec 31, 2024).
- 97.44% of patients were assessed on all seven of CMS’s measures at the start of care (Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025); 60.4% 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 | Not rated |
| 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 19 hospices CMS’s data show serving patients in ZIP code 76634, where this hospice’s office is, the middle number of deficiencies cited in the last three years was 7; this one had 1.
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 Sunset This hospice | 1 |
| Baylor Scott & White Hospice-Waco | 6 |
| Baylor Scott & White Hospice - Temple | 8 |
| Providence Hospice | 26 |
| Amedisys Hospice of San Antonio | 14 |
| Elara Caring | Not given |
| Compassus - Central Texas | Not given |
| Alpha Omega Hospice | 10 |
| Bluebonnet Health Services | 0 |
| Accentcare Hospice & Palliative Care of Texas | 8 |
| Hospice of Ballinger | Not given |
| Gentiva | 8 |
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.