Literature Review

A new Hope(West CEO): HopeWest CEO resigns, assures smooth transition The Daily Sentinel, Grand Junction, CO; by Jace Dicola; 10/13/24 HopeWest is on the search for a new Chief Executive Officer.According to current HopeWest CEO Cassie Mitchell, her departure is bittersweet, but the 30-year-old or ganization couldn’t be in better shape for a smooth transition. Mitchell will remain CEO until the end of this year after her successor is selected. HopeWest is a nonprofit provider of the county’s Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly and regional hospice, palliative and grief services. “It’s been a good two and a half years,” Mitchell said. “The organization is in a really strong place: quality is good, sustainability is good and we’re still 100% committed to our nonprofit, community-based mission.” The departure from HopeWest — to return to her home state of Kentucky — stems from a job opportunity in Mitchell’s old stomping grounds that will allow her to help with her faraway family’s “pressing” needs. She will serve as COO for another serious-illness health care provider currently amid a merger between two nonprofits. 

Hospice in a hurricane: How Empath Health responded to back-to-back disasters Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 10/11/24 Hospice providers in the southeastern United States are reeling from the impacts of two massive hurricanes that have occurred during the past two weeks. ... The Florida-based hospice and senior services provider Empath Health saw the majority of its service region affected by [Hurricane Milton], which caused substantial damage to infrastructure in many communities. Empath reported no major injuries among its employees, according to CEO Jonathan Fleece. However, some employees did lose entire homes or experienced significant damage, as well as cars and other essentials. ... “We do our best through pre-storm planning to come up with our communication plans with our patients and their families, ...” Fleece told Hospice News. “When we can’t reach people by phone, once we have any kind of access to roads, we will do our very best to do some sort of a check in.” These efforts are coordinated through an emergency management team, led by commander Matt Chaloux, that engages in disaster planning and response, Fleece said. Building on lessons learned from Hurricane Ian in 2022, Empath also established a mobile response unit — a vehicle designed to provide clinical, communications and logistical support during catastrophic events. The unit is modeled after similar vehicles used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Empath Health has set up a fund to aid employees who were affected by the hurricanes, helping to provide them with housing, transportation, child care and other needs, according to a statement posted by Fleece on LinkedIn. The organization's board of trustees has pledged to mathc donations dollar-for-dollar up to $500,000.Editor's note: Click here to donate to Empath Helath's fund to aid employees. 

[NonProfit Pro] How to develop your year-end ask strategy NonProfit Pro; by Jeff Schreifels; 10/8/24 There’s no doubt about it — as a fundraiser, you are now in the busiest, most productive time of your year. Hopefully you’ve developed a strategic plan for your whole year and know how to approach the next couple of months to reach your organization’s financial goals.Still, even with a strong plan, developing the right year-end ask amounts can be tricky. I can’t tell you the hundreds of times I have talked to major gift officers who don’t know the details of their caseload or their donors’ interests and situations. ... And what’s worse is once that pressure to get the money starts coming down, you may find yourself asking for gifts that harm the long-term relationship with your donor. The goal is to come to your donor from an authentic place of partnership. ... These questions will form the foundation for your ask strategy. ...

Guest column: Hopewest – Breaking the silence: Supporting suicide prevention and survivors of loss Special to the Herald Times; 10/2/24 Those left in the wake of a suicide loss sometimes aren’t sure where to turn or what to do. Uprooted by shock and overcome by the grief of losing someone to suicide can feel painful and isolating. ... The stigma surrounding suicide deaths, particularly on the Western Slope of Colorado, often hinders individuals from seeking the support they need. To address this crisis in our communities, we must not only bring awareness to suicide prevention but also collectively understand and acknowledge the challenges that survivors of suicide loss face. “Grief after the loss of a loved one to suicide is a unique and painful experience. Survivors struggle with a range of challenges, from the heavy weight of stigma surrounding the death, to judgment from others,” said Judy Eskelson, HopeWest Meeker Bereavement Counselor. “And for many in our community, they may not fully understand the ins and outs of this type of grief. Life after this kind of death can be overwhelmingly difficult, leaving families to navigate a path they never expected to walk.” ... Following the devastating loss of a loved one to suicide, the HopeWest bereavement team is here to walk alongside individuals and families needing a source of comfort and guidance through their grief journey. Editor's note: Though many hospices provide bare, minimum grief support, many others--like HopeWest--live out their mission by providing a fuller scope of bereavement counseling and support. What does your hospice provide? Throughout your service area, do bereaved persons (whether hospice deaths or not) think of your agency as the "dying, death and bereavement" expert, or not? 

St. Francis Reflections and Treasure Health finalize partnership Cision PRWeb, Stuart, FL; Press Release by Treasure Coast Hospice; 10/7/24 Space Coast-based St. Francis Reflections Lifestage Care and Treasure Coast-based Treasure Health announced today that the two organizations have finalized their partnership agreement. Together, the two non-profit hospice and palliative care providers serve more than 7,000 patients annually and employ more than 600 clinical and administrative staff in Brevard, Martin, St. Lucie and Okeechobee counties. Since announcing their intent to partner last year, St. Francis Reflections and Treasure Health, and its flagship program Treasure Coast Hospice, have been working collaboratively to align their shared mission of providing compassionate end-of-life care to patients and families in their respective communities. [Click the title's link for statements from St. Francis Reflections President and CEO Joseph Killian, CHPCA and Treasure Health President and CEO Jackie Kendrick, CHPCA.]

Aroostook House of Comfort honors the late Dr. Jones The County, Presque Isle, ME; 10/4/24 On Sunday, September 15, friends, family, and colleagues gathered at the Aroostook House of Comfort to celebrate the  life and enduring legacy of Dr. David Jones, a great man who touched the hearts of many in his community and beyond. Dr. Jones, who  passed unexpectedly on October 22, 2023, was a devoted family man, an esteemed medical director for Northern Light Home Care & Hospice, a committed Aroostook Hospice Foundation board member and a cherished friend. With a medical career that spanned decades, Dr. Jones made a lasting impact across the region. ... In a heartfelt ceremony, Dr. Jones’ family dedicated a bench, a stepping stone, two trees and two blueberry bushes, all nestled within the  grounds of the Aroostook House of Comfort. A beautiful memorial plaque is also displayed within the Aroostook House of Comfort. 

[Interview] Andrew Molosky, President & CEO, Chapters Health System Capital Analytics Associates; 10/3/24 In an interview with Invest:, Andrew Molosky, president and CEO of Chapters Health System, discussed Chapters Health’s focus on personalized care and flexibility, how it uses data analytics and artificial intelligence to supplement medical expertise, and the reason for its rapid expansion. 

Hospice of Golden Isles returns to independent operations Savannah Tribune - Social and Community News; by Savannah Tribune; 10/2/24 Hospice of the Golden Isles (HGI) is pleased to announce it will resume independent operations in the coming months. This decision was made as HGI approaches the final year of its five-year agreement with Alivia Care, a Florida-based nonprofit hospice provider. Throughout the affiliation, HGI faced significant challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, increased for-profit competition, and Medicare reimbursement changes. Despite these challenges, HGI has continued to deliver high-quality care to all patients, regardless of their ability to pay. “We are incredibly grateful for the benefits this partnership has brought to Hospice of the Golden Isles,” said Paula DiLandro, Executive Director of HGI. “However, as the Board of Directors assessed the current landscape, they realized the factors that initially drove the affiliation are no longer as pressing. After careful consideration, the Board decided to return to independent operations, ensuring the future success of HGI.”

Hospice provider to relocate HQ on Milwaukee’s far northwest side BizTimes - Milwaukee, WI; by Hunter Turpin; 9/26/24 Milwaukee-based Horizon Home Care & Hospice will move its headquarters to occupy about 31,500 square feet at Park Place Business Park on Milwaukee’s far northwest side.

Hospices delve into PACE, dementia care amid calls for change Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 9/25/24 ... Some hospices have dug deeper into the PACE program landscape as an avenue to reach patients further upstream and improve utilization and access. These programs can help hospices provide better coordinated care and help patients and their families navigate a fragmented health care system and complex web of community resources, according to Liz Fowler, president and CEO of Bluegrass Care Navigators. The Lexington, Kentucky-based hospice provider launched a PACE program in 2022. These programs are an opportunity for hospices to evolve end-of-life care models that better address social determinants of health, particularly among some of the most underserved patient populations within their service regions, Fowler stated. “PACE programs are more upstream and will hopefully allow us to care for more individuals earlier on and make connections with more diverse communities earlier as well when they see us as a trusted health care provider,” Fowler said. “The big thing with PACE programs is that they are for individuals with very high needs of complex care, and we readily address all their health care needs but also things like food, isolation and loneliness. ...”

James City County couple who started pediatric hospice nonprofit glad for its expansion Daily Press; James City, VA; by Alison Johnson; 9/25/24 Every year on July 3, Allen and Joan Hogge take out old photo albums to look at pictures of a little boy who barely reached age 8. The James City County couple remembers happy moments on the birthday of their only son, Marcus, who died of a progressive neurological disease. ... They think about how he loved sneaking up on people, giving them a gentle pinch and running off giggling as a toddler. ... Marc’s short life with his parents and two younger sisters led the Hogges to found a pediatric home health and hospice nonprofit, Edmarc, that has grown steadily over the past 46 years to provide free services to families across Hampton Roads. Recently, the nonprofit opened a new Williamsburg office to reach residents of the city and surrounding counties, including James City, Gloucester, Mathews, Charles City and New Kent.  ... “This expansion means so much to us,” Allen Hogge said. “We understand all too well how lonely and difficult and exhausting it can be to have a child with a serious illness." ... Named for Marc and the late Rev. Edward “Ed” Page, the pastor at the Hogges’ former church in Suffolk, Edmarc in 1978 became the nation’s first hospice and palliative care program designed for children. 

Twenty years of yachts and care The Montecito Journal; by Sigrid Toye; 9/24/24 ... The Santa Barbara Yacht Club (SBYC) members once again gathered to host their annual Charity Regatta benefiting VNA Health and its mission of caring with compassion. Although always a huge event in the Santa Barbara community, this year’s Charity Regatta marks its 20th anniversary! For two decades this annual benefit has raised over $2.5 million in support of VNA Health and its services for our families, friends and neighbors. Dependent on the generosity of our community, VNA Health is an organization that provides a safe harbor for those in need regardless of resources or insurance. ... VNA is the only medically-certified nonprofit provider of home-health care, palliative care, and hospice care in Santa Barbara. The organization also owns and operates Serenity House, the largest nonprofit inpatient hospice facility in California known as a place to transition at the end of life with dignity and comfort. Editor's note: A photo shows that this event raised $220,387.

Financial pressures shut down 2 hospice agencies Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 9/20/24 A hospital-based hospice program in Kansas is closing its doors, as is the Visiting Nurses Association of Philadelphia. Holton Community Hospital (HCH) will shut down its home health and hospice department effective December 31st. A range of issues contributed to the decision to end the program, including reimbursement pressures on its home health business and the ascendance of Medicare Advantage, which often pays at a lower rate than traditional Medicare. The Holton, Kansas-based hospital also cited increased competition in its local community as a reason for the closure. ... The organization is working with other local providers to ensure continuity of care for its home health and hospice patients. Meanwhile in Pennsylvania, the Visiting Nurses Association of Philadelphia is also closing. The 138-year-old institution will cease operations on Oct. 28. It is a provider of hospice, home health and palliative care services.Editor's note: For more information about the VNA in Philadelphia, see the article we posted on 9/18/24, After 138 years, the Visiting Nurses Association of Greater Philadelphia will shut down all health care services next month.