Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center
A hospice in La Crosse, Wisconsin 54601
333 Front St N, La Crosse, Wisconsin 54601. (608) 775-8435.
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The short answer
Record last released by CMS on Oct 23, 2026.
- 7 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?
7 deficiencies cited in the last three years
The middle of the 8 hospices serving ZIP code 54601 had 6.5.
The last inspection on record was on Jul 29, 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
7 deficiencies in 1 month of the last 36. Last cited Nov 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.
Nov 20, 2025: reaccreditation inspection by The Joint Commission7 deficiencies
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Content of comprehensive assessment (42 CFR 418.54(c)(7))
“Observed in Record Review. In 1 of 18 patient records reviewed, the organization failed to assess bereavement needs according to time requirements. During record review for HOSRRNHV#10, the patient had been on hospice for a month and there was no documentation of a bereavement assessment. This was discussed and reviewed with the Hospice Leadership Team.”
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Patient outcome measures (42 CFR 418.54(e)(2))
“Observed in Record Review. In 1 of 18 patient records reviewed, the organization failed to maintain a complete and accurate patient record. During record review for HOSRRHV#3, the Hospice Nurse Surveyor observed the hospice diagnosis had been changed one certification period prior to survey but the CTI documentation from the provider was not updated. The CTI stated a diagnosis of Cerebral Vascular Disease but it had been changed and discussed with IDG that it was currently Alzheimer’s. This was discussed and reviewed with the Hospice Leadership Team.”
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Content of plan of care (42 CFR 418.56(c)(4))
“Observed in Record Review. In 1 of 18 patient records reviewed, the organization failed to plan the patient’s care. During record review for HOSRRHV#2, the Hospice Nurse Surveyor observed the orders for port access were incomplete. They did not contain how often the port should be flushed. The care plan stated next to be flushed date but there was no documentation of how often this should happen. The policy also did not include how often the port should be flushed. This was discussed and reviewed with the Hospice Leadership Team.”
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Review of the plan of care (42 CFR 418.56(d))
“Observed in Record Review. In 2 of 18 patient records reviewed, the organization failed to plan the patient’s care. During record review for HOSRRNHV#4 and HOSRRNHV#8, the plan of care was not updated to reflect updates to the goals and outcomes. had For example in both patients the plan of care contained a goal to get a POLST signed and implemented with an active timeframe but both patients had a signed POLST. This was discussed and reviewed with the Hospice Leadership Team.”
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Hospice aide assignments and duties (42 CFR 418.76(g)(1))
The inspectors’ words, 123 words
“Observed in Record Review. In 5 of 6 patient records reviewed, where aide services were ordered, the organization failed to plan the patient’s care. During record review for HOSRRHV#1, HOSRRHV#3, HOSRRHV#4, HOSRRNHV#1, and HOSRRNHV#6, the Hospice Nurse Surveyor observed the aide plan of care did not contain all needed elements. For example in HOSRRHV#1 and HOSRRHV#4, there were no precautions for fall or bleeding due to being on a blood thinner. In HOSRRHV#3 and HOSRRNHV#1, the patient’s were a high risk for fall and had no precautions on the aide care plan for fall. In HOSRRNHV#6, the patient was a fall risk and it was not documented on the aide plan of care. This was discussed and reviewed with the Hospice Leadership Team.”
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Level of activity (42 CFR 418.78(e))
“Observed in Tracer Activities. During a review of the volunteer program and interview with the volunteer coordinator, the Hospice pharmacy surveyor noted that the volunteers had not met the requirement that they would provide day-to-day administrative and/or direct patient care services in an amount that at a minimum equals 5% of the total care hours of all paid hospice employees and contract staff.. However for Oct 2024 to Nov 2025 that number was only 4.6%. This percentage was valiidated with Hospice management at the time of the survey,”
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Discharge or transfer of care (42 CFR 418.104(e)(3)(i))
“Observed in Record Review. In 1 of 3 patient records reviewed, the organization failed to follow the discharge process as required. During record review for HOSRRDC#1, the Hospice Nurse Surveyor observed there was no documentation that the discharge summary was sent to the provider taking over care. This was discussed and reviewed with the Hospice Leadership Team.”
All 3 inspections in the last three years
| Date | Visit | What the record says |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 29, 2026 | Complaint inspection by the state | No deficiencies cited |
| Nov 20, 2025 | Reaccreditation inspection by The Joint Commission | 7 deficiencies cited |
| Jan 31, 2024 | Complaint inspection by the state | No deficiencies cited |
Is it certified?
- Medicare-certified hospice since Apr 24, 2003.
- 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): 16.1 nurse care minutes per routine home care day, 11.5% of skilled nursing minutes at weekends and a visit near death for 95.4% of patients who died.
- Where its patients were cared for (Jan 1, 2024 to Dec 31, 2024): 55% at home, 21% in assisted living, 23% in a skilled nursing facility, 1% in a hospital.
CMS, Hospice Provider Data. Released Aug 26, 2026. Updated quarterly.
| Measure | This provider |
|---|---|
| Nurse care minutes per routine home care day | 16.1 min |
| Skilled nursing minutes at weekends | 11.5% |
| Visits near death | 95.4% of patients who died |
Who owns it?
- Gundersen Lutheran Health System Inc. owns 100% directly since May 15, 2009.
- Bellin Gundersen Health System Inc. and Gundersen Lutheran Health System Inc. run it.
- 9 owners or officers are people: Andrea Hauser (corporate director); Scott Rathgaber (corporate director, 0%); Debra Van Pay (corporate director, 0%); Lindsay Boehm (managing employee (on the payroll)); Laurence P Skendzel (managing employee (on the payroll), 0%); Renee Davis (managing employee (on the payroll), 0%); Todd J Kowalski (corporate director); Heather Schimmers (corporate director); Jennifer E Kleven (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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bellin Gundersen Health System Inc. | Owns 5% or more through other companies | 100% | Nov 30, 2022 |
| Bellin Gundersen Health System Inc. | Runs it (operational or managerial control) | 100% | Nov 30, 2022 |
| Gundersen Lutheran Health System Inc. | Owns 5% or more directly | 100% | May 15, 2009 |
| Gundersen Lutheran Health System Inc. | Runs it (operational or managerial control) | 100% | May 15, 2009 |
What do families say?
- Family caregivers rate it 4 of 5 in CMS’s survey (Oct 1, 2023 to Sep 30, 2025): 85% rated it 9 or 10 out of 10, and 89% would definitely recommend it.
- CMS’s Hospice Care Index: 10 of 10 (Jan 1, 2023 to Dec 31, 2024).
- 96.3% of patients were assessed on all seven of CMS’s measures at the start of care (Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025); 76.1% 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 8 hospices CMS’s data show serving patients in ZIP code 54601, where this hospice’s office is, the middle number of deficiencies cited in the last three years was 6.5; this one had 7.
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 |
|---|---|
| St Croix Hospice La Crosse | 8 |
| Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center This hospice | 7 |
| Agrace Hospicecare | 15 |
| Hospice Touch | 5 |
| St Croix Hospice Baraboo | 5 |
| Compassus Green Bay | 5 |
| St Croix Hospice Eau Claire | 10 |
| Moments Hospice of Eau Claire | 6 |
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.