How Treasure Health Is Pursuing ‘People-Centered Innovation’
•February 17, 2026
0
Why It Matters
By aligning senior leadership with technology and education investments, Treasure Health addresses rising hospice complexity and staffing shortages, setting a benchmark for people‑centric care in the sector.
Key Takeaways
- •New COO and CCO drive people‑centered strategy
- •Affiliation serves 7,000+ patients across four Florida counties
- •Smart‑chart EMR reduces documentation burden for clinicians
- •Simulation lab and internships boost staff training and retention
- •Focus on compliance, workforce support, and equitable caseloads
Pulse Analysis
The hospice landscape is evolving rapidly as payment models shift toward value‑based care and patient acuity rises. Treasure Health’s appointment of a COO and a CCO reflects a broader industry trend of consolidating executive talent to navigate regulatory complexity and to embed a people‑first philosophy across operations. By formalizing these roles, the organization signals maturity and readiness to scale while maintaining a mission‑driven focus that resonates with patients, families, and payers alike.
Technology adoption is a cornerstone of Treasure Health’s innovation plan. The 2025 rollout of a new electronic medical record system, featuring smart‑charting capabilities, directly tackles the chronic documentation overload that hampers hospice clinicians. While the EMR lacks AI, its streamlined workflow reduces time spent on paperwork, freeing caregivers to deliver bedside care. This aligns with a growing movement among hospice providers to integrate digital tools that enhance efficiency without compromising the compassionate nature of end‑of‑life care.
Workforce development remains the most pressing challenge for hospice organizations, and Treasure Health’s education initiatives address this head‑on. Partnerships with local colleges, a dedicated simulation lab, and a structured graduate nurse internship program create pipelines for skilled staff while fostering continuous learning. By offering mentorship, individualized career plans, and hands‑on training, the provider not only improves staff satisfaction but also mitigates the chronic shortage of hospice clinicians. These efforts illustrate how targeted education and supportive onboarding can become a competitive advantage in a market where talent retention is critical.
How Treasure Health is Pursuing ‘People-Centered Innovation’
Florida-based hospice provider Treasure Health is seeking innovation using a “people-centric” approach, spearheaded by an expanded leadership team.
At the end of last year the organization named Shannon Cooper as its first chief operating officer (COO). The newly created position reflects Treasure Health’s “maturity and intention” as hospice and palliative care care grow more complex with emerging payment models and rising patient acuity.
Also around that time, Treasure Health tapped Jennifer Creel to become chief clinical officer. While this position previously existed at the company’s St. Francis Hospice affiliate, Creel’s appointment marks the first time one individual has served in that role for the entire Treasure Health hospice enterprise.
Creel and Cooper have pledged to work closely together to realize Treasure Health’s top priorities. Among these are compliance and workforce support and development, among others.
“How do we move more toward a just progressive way of thinking, a different way of thinking that supports our staff?” Cooper told Hospice News. “They’re doing the real stuff. So it’s, you know, how can we support them in doing that? We’re looking at a lot of people-centered innovation, and then, of course, thoughtful, mission-aligned growth.”
St. Francis Reflections Lifestage Care and Treasure Coast Hospice completed their affiliation in October 2024, a move nearly a year in the making after the two Florida-based nonprofits signaled they would join forces.
Combined, the two organizations provide hospice and palliative care to more than 7,000 patients annually across Brevard, Martin, St. Lucie and Okeechobee counties in their home state. The deal included Treasure Coast Hospice, which the health system established in 1982.
This person-centered approach focuses heavily on technology investments to streamline workflows, improve efficiency and relieve administrative burden on staff. Other key initiatives include professional development opportunities and education.
Treasure Health in 2025 adopted a new electronic medical record (EMR) system. While the EMR doesn’t integrate artificial intelligence, it does include a “smart charting” feature that can aid staff in clinical documentation.
“There’s so much pressure on staff out there, and it’s the documentation burden. Taking care of hospice patients isn’t easy, and they want to spend their time doing that,” Creel told Hospice News. “They don’t want to spend all their time documenting and checking all these boxes.”
Staff education is also a major priority for Treasure Health. The company operates a clinical internship program in conjunction with higher education partners, according to Creel. Treasure Health also has developed a Simulation Lab, financed through its foundation, to provide hands-on staff training.
Treasure Coast Hospice has partnered with Indian River State College for more than 30 years. The organization provides clinical rotations, hospice exposure, interdisciplinary learning and clinical residency opportunities. The hospice has supported upwards of 430 nursing students across three local colleges and universities since 2023.
The organization also established a graduate registered nurse internship program in response to staffing challenges and the unique needs of hospice clinicians, Cooper stated. The 30–90 day internship involves hospice preceptorship training, online curriculum and bedside experiences in both inpatient home-based settings. Nurses also receive weekly mentorship and individualized career development plans.
“We have to have a strong onboarding education program,” Cooper said. “We have an amazing education department, and we are constantly looking at staffing and case loads to make sure that the work is equitable and fair.”
The post How Treasure Health is Pursuing ‘People-Centered Innovation’ appeared first on Hospice News.
0
Comments
Want to join the conversation?
Loading comments...