Texas Hospice Locations Earn Top National Status for Veteran-Focused Care
Tyler and Palestine offices of Heart to Heart Hospice receive Level 5 distinction
Two hospice care sites in Texas just made national headlines for all the right reasons. Heart to Heart Hospice locations in Tyler and Palestine have earned Level 5 certification—the highest available—from We Honor Veterans, a program developed by the National Alliance for Care at Home.
This isn’t just a symbolic badge. It’s an acknowledgment that both teams have gone well beyond standard care models to meet the unique needs of military veterans at the end of life.
What Level 5 Means in Practical Terms
The We Honor Veterans program is built on five progressive levels of participation. Each level requires measurable progress in staff education, community outreach, and veteran-centric service delivery. Level 5 goes a step further. It’s reserved for providers that don’t just meet the baseline but take on a leadership role.
To reach this tier, hospice teams must expand local partnerships, guide other organizations, and serve as mentors across the hospice community. In short, they’re expected to lead from the front—not just care from behind the scenes.
Heart to Heart’s sites in Tyler and Palestine didn’t check a few boxes to earn this. They built long-term systems of support designed to serve veterans where it matters most—at the bedside and beyond.
Veteran Care Is Not One-Size-Fits-All
Military service shapes people in profound ways. From combat stress to service-related injuries, the experiences veterans carry with them into late life often require a specific approach. That’s why end-of-life care must adjust accordingly.
According to Gina Daughtry, Executive Director at the Tyler location, the teams are trained to address the physical and emotional toll that military service can leave behind. “Our hospice care teams are highly trained to understand the specific challenges veterans face,” she said. That includes everything from trauma-informed care to support navigating VA benefits.
This kind of service isn’t about feel-good gestures or patriotic bumper stickers. It’s about specialized support delivered with skill and respect—especially at the most vulnerable stage of life.
Why These Sites Stand Out
Heart to Heart Hospice has 64 sites across four states. But Tyler and Palestine are now among a select few in the country to receive this highest-level designation.
According to company founder and CEO Kelly Mitchell, serving veterans is a core focus across all Heart to Heart locations. He called the achievement in Tyler and Palestine a reflection of that commitment. “It’s a privilege,” Mitchell said. “And it matters deeply.”
About the Organization Behind the Recognition
We Honor Veterans is run by the National Alliance for Care at Home. It exists to improve end-of-life care for veterans through education, partnership, and outreach. The program recognizes hospice agencies that not only deliver high-quality care but do so with a specific focus on the challenges veterans face.
Level 5 certification isn’t common. It requires demonstrated leadership within the community and across the hospice field. Agencies must take part in mentoring other providers, building partnerships with veteran organizations, and conducting outreach that meaningfully improves access to care for veterans.
Who Is Heart to Heart Hospice?
Founded in 2003, Heart to Heart Hospice has grown into one of the largest privately held hospice care providers in the U.S. The company is based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and offers services in Indiana, Michigan, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Their focus is on comfort care for patients with life-limiting illnesses. Services include pain management, emotional support, spiritual care, and help for families through the end-of-life process. The organization prides itself on helping people receive care in the place they call home—wherever that may be.
Why This Matters
Recognition like this isn’t about awards on the wall. It’s about measurable improvements in how veterans are treated as they reach life’s final chapter. Heart to Heart’s teams in Tyler and Palestine have set the bar higher. Not just for their own patients, but for hospice providers across the country.
They Did the Work—Now Others Will Follow
By earning Level 5 certification, these two sites have shown what’s possible when hospice care is delivered with precision, intention, and respect for those who served. Other providers will look to them as a model—and that means better outcomes for more veterans.
Heart to Heart Hospice isn’t done. But this milestone makes one thing clear: in Tyler and Palestine, veterans are in capable hands.