VITAS® Healthcare, a pioneer and leader in the hospice movement since 1978, is the nation’s largest provider of end-of-life care. Our name is derived from the Latin word for “lives” and symbolizes the VITAS mission: to preserve the quality of life for those who have a limited time to live. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, VITAS operates in 15 states and the District of Columbia. VITAS has enjoyed dynamic growth since its founding as a volunteer organization by a United Methodist minister and an oncology nurse. Today, VITAS employs 11,765 professionals who care for terminally ill patients daily-primarily in the patients’ homes, and also in the company’s inpatient hospice units as well as in hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living communities/residential care facilities. VITAS team members include registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, home health aides, physicians, social workers, chaplains and other caregiving professionals.