History of Care Dimensions

A History of Caring

Care Dimensions was founded in 1978 as Hospice of the North Shore and was one of the nation’s first hospice programs. We have evolved from a small, all-volunteer agency and today we are the largest hospice in Massachusetts with a staff of more than 700 and 400 volunteers. In 2020, we cared for 5,717 hospice patients and more than 1,500 palliative care patients.  We serve an average of 900 hospice patients, 600 palliative care patients, and 400 primary care patients each day.

The growth trajectory of Care Dimensions can be highlighted by the following milestone dates:

• 1978 – Hospice of the North Shore founded
• 1984 – First bereavement support groups were launched
• 1989 – Became licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and certified by Medicare
• 1992 – Expanded hospice programs to skilled nursing facilities
• 1994 – Initiated children’s bereavement services and programs
• 1998 – Earned accreditation from Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO)
• 2001 – Became accredited by the Community Health Care Accreditation Program and launched Center for Grief and Healing
• 2002 – Began Palliative Care of the North Shore Consultation Service and held first Camp Stepping Stones for children and adults
• 2005 – Opened Kaplan Family Hospice House in Danvers
• 2007 – Launched Pediatric Palliative Care of the North Shore
• 2011 – Acquired Partners Hospice and doubled the number of communities served
• 2014 – Hospice of the North Shore & Greater Boston changes its name to Care Dimensions
• 2015 – Winner of national Circle of Life Award: Celebrating Innovation in Palliative and End-of-Life Care
• 2016 – Broke ground on the new Care Dimensions Hospice House in Lincoln
• 2018 – Opened the Care Dimensions Hospice House in Lincoln
• 2019 – Launched Care Dimensions HomeMD in-home primary care service
• 2019 – Expanded and formally named the Care Dimensions Learning Institute