Literature Review

Foundation raises money for Hospice Home Campaign, Patient Needs Fund WBBJ-TV ABC & CBS 7 Eyewitness News, Jackson, TN; by WBBJ Staff; 12/20/24 West Tennessee Healthcare presented two checks through its Hope and Healing Foundation Friday.  The foundation hosted a ‘Sip and Savor’ event to raise funds for the Hospice Home Campaign and the Patient Needs fund. The Hospice Home Campaign plans to build a space where hospice patients can obtain enhanced end-of-life services for patients and their families. Through this fundraiser, each campaign was presented a $64,000 check. This was made possible through numerous donations and support.

EverHeart Hospice expands and offers growth in the community Mercer County Outlook, Mercer County, OH; 12/19/24 EverHeart Hospice is thrilled to announce the opening of its newly expanded Inpatient Care Center. This significant milestone marks a new chapter in their commitment to providing compassionate care to patients and families experiencing life-limiting illnesses. The grand opening event, held in their new space on the 3rd floor of Wayne HealthCare, was a resounding success, bringing together community members, healthcare professionals, and local dignitaries. Attendees had the opportunity to tour the new space, which featured enhanced patient rooms, advanced medical equipment, and comfortable family areas designed to create a serene and supportive environment.

Stabilizing local hospice and home health services celebrated as a gift at holiday gathering Juneau Empire, Juneau, AK; by Mark Sabbatini; 12/14/24 Heather Richter says she’s optimistic about the long-term prognosis for hospice and home health services in Juneau, a little more than two years after they were on life support when the agency that had provided them for 20 years suddenly shut down and sent officials into a lengthy struggle to establish a new program. Richter, director of the Home Health and Hospice Program at Bartlett Regional Hospital, said 68 families have been participants since the hospital officially took over the program in July of 2023. Funding for the program, a key concern raised this spring due to a massive budget shortfall at the hospital, now appears more stable due to Juneau Assembly members supporting a five-year operating plan and support from the Juneau Community Foundation. “We’re in the clear,” she said during a “Light Up a Life” Community Celebration hosted by the program at the hospital on Friday evening. ...

Donations helping Solvay Hospice House ABC News WDIO, Duluth, MN; by WDIO; 12/11/24 One of the donations you may have seen on pin pads at Super One [Food] locations within the last few weeks, was in support of the National Hospice Month Campaign. On Wednesday, December 11, 2024, Miners Incorporated presented a check to the Solvay Hospice House. The check was for a donation of $43,705.91 collected from the various Super One locations across the state. What started as purchasing one dollar paper houses has turned it into a donation drive driven on the pin pads at checkout. And with that small change in the last few years, donations have doubled to support the cause. This donation will help continue their mission to provide compassionate care provided at Solvay Hospice House for patients and their families. Susie Marshall, Digital Media Manager at Minors Incorporated, expressed their gratitude to continue their tradition and the efforts from consumers. 

Hospice artisans combine talent and heart to raise $750k for Hospice of the Calumet Area over the years GreatNews.Life; by Hospice of the Calumet Area; 12/9/24 For years, Hospice of the Calumet Area has been blessed by angels in its corner, including a group with a passion for art and philanthropy. The Hospice Artisans, a dedicated team of volunteers, host their annual Holiday Market to showcase elevated, carefully curated gift items, all handmade with love. This year’s event, held on Nov. 9 at St. Maria Goretti Church in Dyer, attracted more than 700 shoppers, a testament to the community’s support for the mission. Since its inception, this initiative has raised over $750,000 to support Hospice of the Calumet Area in Munster, assisting patients and families during life’s most delicate moments. ... Volunteers range in age from as young as eight to their 70s and beyond, each contributing unique skills.

Kimberly Duchossois donates $2 million to The HAP Foundation for Palliative Care Education The HAP Foundation - Hospice & Palliative Care Research & Education; by Rachel French; 12/9/24 The HAP Foundation receives a major gift from philanthropist and Board of Trustee Kimberly Duchossois to grow education on palliative care and increase collaboration among health care systems to ensure access to care for all. ... “Ms. Duchossois’ commitment to community and making an impact for families is inspiring and humbling. She has been a leader throughout the health care field and is always willing to listen and lead. With this gift, The HAP Foundation will strengthen our existing palliative care education programming and foster relationships for collaboration among health systems in Illinois." ...

Seasons Hospice, Homestead Hospice House successfully raise $850,000 KTTC, Rochester, MN; by Ryan Paris; 12/6/24 On Tuesday, Dec. 3, the Homestead Hospice House Board of Directors and Seasons Hospice reached its fundraising goal of $850,000. With the help of the money raised during the fundraiser, it makes the expansion of access to residential hospice care even more possible. Now that the fundraising goal is met, the two boards will now begin the process of negotiating details of a lease agreement for the new hospice facility. Once that lease is finalized, the next phase will be the beginning of the licensing process through the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). Once all is complete, the formal timeline for the house reopening will be established. 

Bottles of bourbon signed by Pope Francis expected to fetch up to $20,000 for charity National Catholic Register; by Daniel Payne; 11/21/24 Two bottles of rare bourbon signed by Pope Francis are projected to net up to $20,000 for several Kentucky charities [and Southeast Texas Hospice]. Father Jim Sichko, a priest in the Diocese of Lexington, Kentucky, and a papal Missionary of Mercy, told CNA that the charity auction came about from Sichko’s habit of bringing Kentucky bourbon to the Holy Father and other Vatican officials during his trips to Rome. ... The whiskies are currently up for online bidding. A live auction will ultimately take place in New York at Sotheby’s on Dec. 7. The funds raised from the auctions — estimated by Sotheby’s at upward of $10,000 per bottle — will be donated to several charities, the priest said, including Southeast Texas Hospice as well as Maxwell Street Legal Clinic. The latter assists immigrants in Kentucky with legal needs. The proceeds will also go toward an assistance ministry run by Father Sichko as well as a no-kill animal shelter in Kentucky.

Big Bend Hospice’s promise to North Florida [New parent company, Seven Oaks Health] Tallahassee Democrat; by Bill Wertman, "Your Turn"; 11/29/24 As CEO of Big Bend Hospice, I see every day how vital our mission focused hospice care is to families across North Florida. Yet, in today’s healthcare landscape, nonprofit hospices like ours are increasingly rare. Only about 30% of hospices nationwide operate as nonprofits (CDC, 2020), and for-profit hospices have made up nearly all new providers in recent years (Hospice News, 2022). These changes mean that the type of personalized, community-centered care that Big Bend Hospice provides is at risk of disappearing. In 2024 alone, 12 hospice acquisitions took place, with about half involving nonprofit organizations (Hospice News, 2024). This trend is forcing many nonprofits to either consolidate or scale back services. For Big Bend Hospice, the choice was clear: expand our offerings to meet more in-home healthcare needs, while keeping compassion and family-centered care at the forefront. To accomplish this, we established Seven Oaks Health, our new parent company. With Seven Oaks Health, we’re creating a sustainable model that enables us to support families from diagnosis through end-of-life, especially in the rural areas we’ve served for over 40 years. By broadening our services, we’re ensuring that more families have access to high-quality care wherever they call home.

Thanksgiving tradition brings meals to hospice families in Northeastern Pennsylvania  ABC News 16 WNEP, Scranton, PA; by Jack Culkin; 11/28/24 It's become a holiday tradition for many volunteers to fill their cars at Mansour's Market in Scranton on Thanksgiving morning, delivering meals to those in hospice care. Ray Gillette, a long-time volunteer, shared, "We've been doing this for a long time, and we've taken the boys with us. Our oldest grandson is 14. This is his 14th year that he's come to deliver with us." ... [Diane Baldi, CEO of Hospice of The Sacred Heart] says the event began as an idea. Quickly growing to not just caring for their patients, but their families too.  "19 years ago, in our very first, we may have had 20 patients. Today we have 200. So it has grown exponentially," said Baldi. ... Along with classic holiday staples like turkey, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce, each meal includes a hand-made card. "I like it because it has like a turkey on the front and it has like all the stuff that you would eat," Said nine-year-old Olivia Catalano. She and her classmates made dozens of these cards, each featuring a Thanksgiving message or drawing. ... With each card placed and each meal delivered, workers successfully brought more than 600 meals to hospice families across Northeastern Pennsylvania. 

Coastal Hospice joins Shore Gives More for Giving Tuesday fundraiser ABC 47 WMDT, Salisbury, MD; by Site Staff; 11/26/24 Coastal Hospice is teaming up with the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore for Giving Tuesday. They are one of many non-profits signed up for the Shore Gives More campaign. It’s an online giving event that provides non-profits the opportunity to inspire the community. Editor's note: Heads up, be on the lookout for a post from us on Monday 12/2/24 with a wide scope of ways to support our hospice and palliative care community through "Giving Tuesday."

How the St. Francis Foundation supports healthcare for Santa Barbara’s most vulnerable Noozhawk - Special to Good for Santa Barbara; 11/26/24 The foundation grants nearly a million annually to local organizations focused on health, end-of-life, palliative and geriatric care. Maximize the impact of your generosity this holiday season by supporting the nonprofits that matter most to you. There’s no better way to close out the year than by giving back to your community. This #GivingTuesday, Noozhawk invites you to contribute to one of the incredible local organizations featured in our  Giving Guide. On December 3, 2024, join us and nonprofits across Santa Barbara County in celebrating this global movement of giving. Together, we can make a difference! ...Editor's note: This interview provides a great example for ways that you, too, can still fast-track your community outreach before next week's December 3rd "Giving Tuesday."