Glades, Hendry and Lee counties will soon have a second hospice provider as a result of a ruling this month by a state administrative judge, but the current provider warns that the entry of VITAS Healthcare may threaten the end-of-life services it provides.

Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) Robert Cohen ruled in favor of VITAS in an Aug. 1 opinion, finding that the for-profit health care provider’s proposal to provide services in the tri-county region would benefit underserved rural residents in Glades and Hendry counties. The current provider, Hope Hospice and Community Services, however, challenged VISTAS’ bid to gain a certificate of need (CON) in Hospice Service Area 8C in southern Florida.

“We have major disagreement with many of (Cohen’s) findings,” Samira Beckwith, Hope’s president and CEO, told the Florida Record in an email. “… Hope provides a broad range of services in the community of 8C, all linked by a shared mission to provide specialized, targeted services to all populations, including the often underserved who often have few options.”