Lumberton, North Carolina-based hospital UNC Health Southeastern (UNC) will transfer ownership of its community-based hospice operations to Lower Cape Fear LifeCare, effective May 1, 2023. The hospital is located in Robeson County, North Carolina and will continue to offer inpatient services.

Lower Cape Fear LifeCare will assist UNC by providing palliative care consultations within the hospital.

The transfer of its home-based hospice services will free up more resources for UNC’s palliative care program, according to UNC Health Southeastern President and CEO Chris Ellington.

The financial terms of the transfer include a sale of tangible assets for an undisclosed dollar amount, with no premium attached to the transaction.

Lower Cape Fear LifeCare is a nonprofit agency that has been serving southeastern North Carolina and northeastern South Carolina for more than 40 years. 

According to data captured in the LevinPro HC database, this acquisition represents the 30th Home Health & Hospice (HH&H) transaction of 2023. This is a 27% decrease from last year, when 41 HH&H deals were announced between January 1, 2022, and April 26, 2022, and a 19% decrease from the same 2021 period when 37 HH&H deals were announced.