Lakeland Senior AdvisorGood Shepherd Hospice is a Medicare-certified hospice based at 3470 Lakeland Hills Blvd in Lakeland, FL 33805. It has been certified since 2008. It cares for about 444 patients on an average day, making it one of the larger hospices in the area. It scores 10 out of 10 on Medicare's Hospice Care Index; the Florida average is 9.7. Family caregivers rate it 4 out of 5 stars. The index flags 1 area where it is worse than the Florida average, starting with gaps in nursing visits longer than 7 days.
What is Good Shepherd Hospice's Medicare record?
| Hospice | Good Shepherd Hospice |
|---|---|
| Address | 3470 Lakeland Hills Blvd, Lakeland, FL 33805 |
| Phone | (863) 682-0067 |
| Medicare provider number (CCN) | 101550 |
| Ownership | Non-Profit |
| Medicare-certified since | 03/21/2008 |
How does Good Shepherd Hospice score on Medicare's Hospice Care Index?
Good Shepherd Hospice scores 10 out of 10 on the Hospice Care Index, which counts how many of ten visit, discharge and staffing indicators a hospice meets. Against the Florida average it is better on 1 of the indicators below and worse on 1.
| Indicator | Good Shepherd Hospice | Florida average | U.S. average | vs. Florida |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaps in nursing visits longer than 7 days (lower is better) | 68.9% | 62% | 52.4% | Worse |
| Patients discharged alive within 7 days (lower is better) | 12.8% | 12.6% | 7.3% | About the same |
| Patients discharged alive after 180 days or more (lower is better) | 31% | 30.5% | 37.4% | About the same |
| Live discharge followed by a hospital stay and readmission to hospice (lower is better) | 4% | 8.7% | 8.5% | Better |
| Live discharge followed by death in hospital (lower is better) | 1.4% | 1.5% | 2.1% | About the same |
| Nurse minutes per routine home care day | 13.5 min | 15.3 min | 19.9 min | About the same |
| Share of skilled nursing minutes given on weekends | 9.2% | 11% | 9.6% | About the same |
| Patients visited by a nurse in the last 3 days of life | 97.4% | 94.7% | 89.3% | About the same |
Separately, 99.9% of its patients received all seven recommended care steps at admission (Florida average 97.2%) and 61.9% were visited by a nurse or social worker on at least two of their last three days (Florida average 60.9%).
What do families say about Good Shepherd Hospice?
89% of family caregivers said they would definitely recommend Good Shepherd Hospice; the Florida average is 82%. The survey goes to the family member who was the main caregiver, after the patient has died.
| Survey question | Good Shepherd Hospice | Florida average | U.S. average | vs. Florida |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team always communicated well | 82% | 78% | 82% | Better |
| Team always provided timely help | 77% | 73% | 78% | Better |
| Team always treated the patient with respect | 91% | 88% | 91% | Better |
| Right amount of emotional and spiritual support | 91% | 88% | 91% | Better |
| Patient always got help for pain and symptoms | 77% | 73% | 76% | Better |
| Caregivers rated the hospice 9 or 10 | 85% | 79% | 83% | Better |
| Would definitely recommend the hospice | 89% | 82% | 85% | Better |
Where does Good Shepherd Hospice deliver care, and to whom?
68% of good shepherd hospice's care is delivered at home and its largest patient group by diagnosis is cancer (27%). It has provided levels of care beyond routine home visits, such as continuous care at home or inpatient stays, in the last three years.
| Where care is delivered | Share of patients |
|---|---|
| At home | 68% |
| In assisted living | 14% |
| In a nursing facility | 13% |
| In an inpatient hospice unit | 4% |
| In a hospital | 1% |
| Primary diagnosis | Share of patients |
|---|---|
| Cancer | 27% |
| Heart and circulatory disease | 21% |
| Dementia | 16% |
| Other conditions | 16% |
| Respiratory disease | 14% |
| Stroke | 7% |
Which Lakeland-area ZIP codes does Good Shepherd Hospice serve?
Good Shepherd Hospice tells Medicare it serves 38 ZIP codes in Lakeland and Polk County.
- 33801
- 33803
- 33805
- 33809
- 33810
- 33811
- 33812
- 33813
- 33815
- 33823
- 33827
- 33830
- 33835
- 33837
- 33838
- 33839
- 33840
- 33841
- 33843
- 33844
- 33847
- 33849
- 33850
- 33851
- 33853
- 33854
- 33855
- 33856
- 33859
- 33860
- 33868
- 33877
- 33880
- 33881
- 33884
- 33897
- 33898
- 34759
What should you ask Good Shepherd Hospice before choosing it?
Ask how often the nurse visits
68.9% of Good Shepherd Hospice's patients went more than seven days without a nursing visit at some point, against 62% across Florida. Ask for the planned visit schedule in writing and who decides when it changes.
Ask how fast they can admit
Ask how soon after the call a nurse can come out, including evenings and weekends, and how quickly medications and equipment arrive.
Ask where inpatient care happens
When symptoms cannot be managed at home, hospice provides short inpatient stays. Ask which facility they use and how far it is from the family.
Ask what the family is expected to do
Hospice supports the family caregiver; it does not replace one. Ask how many aide visits a week are typical and what happens overnight.
Which other hospices serve Lakeland, FL?
- Compassionate Care Hospice of Central Florida Inc — Hospice Care Index 10 of 10
All Medicare-certified hospices in Lakeland and Polk County
Last verified: November 2026, against the Medicare hospice data release dated 2026-08-07.
Common questions
Is Good Shepherd Hospice Medicare-certified?
Yes. Good Shepherd Hospice is certified by Medicare under provider number 101550 and has been since 2008.
What is Good Shepherd Hospice's Hospice Care Index score?
10 out of 10 in the current Medicare data. The Florida average is 9.7.
How large is Good Shepherd Hospice?
It cares for about 444 patients on an average day.
