Our History
About Us
We’re a nonprofit healthcare services agency based in the Greater Philadelphia area, providing compassionate and comprehensive care. Our services include hospice, palliative care, private duty care, and post-hospitalization home care, in hospital and assisted living settings as well as in private homes. KeystoneCare also operates its own 19-bed hospice center, Keystone House, in Wyndmoor, PA.
A boutique agency with local roots, KeystoneCare combines the academic expertise and leading-edge approach of a big organization with the people-first touch of a smaller one. Count on KeystoneCare for timely responses, individualized attention, and the willingness to always go above and beyond for patients and families. We understand that it is a privilege to be trusted with your care. Every single member of our team delivers outstanding service with warmth and kindness for a safe, nurturing experience.
Our History
KeystoneCare originated as a hospice provider and Keystone House, the first freestanding residential hospice in southeastern Pennsylvania, was established in 1997 as a state model for providing holistic care in a home-like environment. A hospice nurse, Gail Inderwies worked with Joan Reese, President of Keystone Home Health Services, to create a warm, home-like setting, where individuals living with a terminal illness were treated with dignity and respect by a professional and compassionate allied team. Keystone House accomplished many important “firsts”:
- First hospice in PA to care for a pediatric patient
- First hospice PA to be accredited by National Institute for Jewish Hospice
- First hospice to staff a full-time music therapist and offer a full suite of creative therapies, including music, art, dance, acupuncture and massage
KeystoneCare has since evolved to include a full suite of services that address the full continuum of healthcare needs: private home care, hospice services in home and hospital settings, palliative care and post hospitalization home care, as well as telehealth and supportive services like Meals on Wheels.
The John Welsh House
Purchased in the late 1860s by Philadelphia “city father” and philanthropist John Welsh, the property on 8765 Stenton Avenue has a storied history as a family home for prominent Philadelphians—and a healing setting for patients needing comfort. In 1990, it was listed as The John Welsh House on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1997, it was leased by Keystone Hospice under the leadership of Joan Smith-Reese and Gail Inderwies. In 2004, Keystone Hospice purchased the property and undertook a major exterior renovation project two years later. Learn more about this magnificent property, its original inhabitants, and its history as a “peaceful place.”