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Hospice Provider Member News
Hospice Care of the Lowcountry Launches Hos-Pets Program in Bluffton, SC
When about a dozen of Hospice Care of the Lowcountry's newest volunteers met with some of the nonprofit's longtime helpers last Thursday, it seemed they all had something in common: an eagerness to serve those who are ill.
But the newbie volunteers had a few things separating them from the rest of the crowd: Tails and four paws. Hos-Pets, a new pet therapy program being offered by Hospice Care of the Lowcountry, kicked off June 12 with a mix and mingle social outside the organization's offices near the Bluffton Branch of the Beaufort County Public Library, where patient volunteers met the program's participating dog owners and their pooches. The new program - offered in conjunction with the AlphaDog Training Academy - means patients can opt to have a home visit from a trained dog as part of their hospice care. The agency also will facilitate regular pet visits to rehabilitation and assisted living facilities around the Lowcountry. All Hos-Pet dogs are required to be certified through Canine Good Citizen or Therapy Dog International, two programs that train pups to display their best behavior at home and in public. To read more about this program, visit www.islandpacket.com/communities/bluffton/story/527875.html and http://npaper-wehaa.com/bluffton-today;see-Tv9ozL5H7804m1et;html;c-37370. Levine & Dickson Hospice House of Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region
In January, Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region proudly celebrated the opening of Levine & Dickson Hospice House, in conjunction with its 30th anniversary. This 16-bed facility provides short-term care for patients whose symptom management requires greater medical supervision that can be provided at home, or when care at home is not an option. Levine & Dickson Hospice House also serves as a community resource fro grief education and end-of-life care.
The American Craftsman style Levine & Dickson Hospice House is home-like in design. Each, private, patient room has accommodations for family members to spend the night with their loved ones. The 29,000 square foot facility also includes a family room, an interfaith chapel, staff offices, sunrooms, a library, a kitchen and a small conference center. Landscaped gardens accent the grounds and a labyrinth for meditative walks sits just outside the large family room. Levine & Dickson Hospice House will be fully staffed 24-hours each day, with a team of healthcare professionals with specialized hospice care training and experience. The care team will include a hospice physician, clinical director, hospice nurses, social worker, chaplain, nursing assistants, dietary manager, trained volunteers and others. The first freestanding hospice facility in Mecklenburg County, it is centrally located within the nine-county service area of Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region. Designed for future expansion, it sits on twelve wooded acres in The Park Huntersville and is easily accessible from the area's major highways. The facility was named for its most generous contributors, The Leon Levine Foundation: Sandra and Leon Levine and The Dickson Foundation, Inc. Levine & Dickson Hospice House was designed by Odell Associates architects and constructed by Rodgers Builders. For more information, or to take a virtual tour of Levine & Dickson Hospice House, visit: www.hpccr.org. 
 Dr. Janet Bull Receives Award From the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine
Janet Bull, M.D., vice president of medical services for Four Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care, has been named a Fellow by the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM).
Chris Comeaux, president/CEO of Four Seasons, said, "This is a great honor for Janet, and a well-deserved recognition of her hard work, vision, and compassion as a hospice and palliative care physician. The board and staff are quite proud of her." The award is a special honor of the academy given to members who have demonstrated special, long-term commitment to scholarship and clinical hospice and palliative medicine. To be eligible, a physician must be board certified by the American Board of Hospice & Palliative Medicine, have been a member of AAHPM in good standing for at least five years, have at least five years of post-residency professional activity predominately in the field of hospice and palliative medicine, and have significant commitment to scholarship in the field of hospice and palliative medicine. John Morris, M.D., palliative care medical director for Four Seasons, said, "Four Seasons Hospice & Palliative care is fortunate to have a woman like Janet who continues to lead and mentor other providers in excellence in end-of-life care. She's a great role model and mentor. Receiving this national award is quite an honor." Four Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care, located in Hendersonville, NC, uses an interdisciplinary approach to provide care and services to patients and their families by experienced hospice professionals and volunteers. The agency has served approximately 7,000 patients since its inception. Gaston Hospice Opens Inpatient Facility
Gaston Hospice has opened the Robin Johnson House, a twelve-bed facility for inpatient hospice care and is taking patients. The opening of the twelve-bed facility featured several Open House opportunities in late July and over a thousand people from the community came to tour the facility and celebrate this milestone in end-of-life care for Gaston County.
The Robin Johnson House was named for the Reverend Robin Johnson, who instigated the organization of Gaston Hospice in 1979, and is the result of a long-held dream of Gaston Hospice staff and volunteers. The $6 million facility was carefully designed to create an atmosphere where family can enjoy visiting the patient. Each of the spacious private rooms includes a large private bath and a sitting area, creating a sense of home that is comfortable and practical for families and staff. A large family room, dining area, chapel, sun room and several privacy rooms and seating areas offer many comfortable places for all guests. Located on a 20-acre site just a few minutes off Highway 321 in Dallas, the Robin Johnson House offers a tranquil environment for a hospice house. Beautiful landscaping accents the beauty of the surrounding countryside and provides a pleasurable place for patients and family to spend time outdoors. "While the goal of Gaston Hospice will always be to provide support to patients and their families in the patient's homes," says Lee Bucci, executive director of Gaston Hospice, "experience shows us that in-home hospice services are not always the best alternative for every family situation. We're glad to be able to offer this wonderful alternative in those cases." A capital campaign cabinet spent the better part of 2005 raising funds to build the facility, which began admitting patients in August. Construction started in March of 2006. Gaston Hospice cares for over eight hundred patients a year and their families and operates with an average daily census in the 150's. 
Spartanburg Regional unveils new Hospice Home
Fifteen-bed facility offering professional medical care at the end of life opens Nov. 14
SPARTANBURG--Officials at SRHS, Regional Hospice and the Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System Foundation will unveil the Regional Hospice Home on Tuesday, Nov. 14, at 11 a.m. Termed "The House that Spartanburg Built," the Regional Hospice Home is a 15-bed facility where patients can receive professional medical care at the end of life in a comfortable setting. The Regional Hospice Home is the only hospital-based hospice home in the Upstate. The $5.3 million facility was carefully designed to create an atmosphere where patients can enjoy being with family. Each of the spacious private rooms will include large windows and patios, creating a sense of connectedness with the natural landscape that surrounds the house. "The Regional Hospice Home fulfills a long-standing need. With the demand for Hospice services expected to continue growing, this project will provide Spartanburg with a place that extends dignity and comfort to those facing the end of life," President Ingo Angermeier said. The Regional Hospice Home has been a long time coming, said Ellen Gramling, past chairwoman of the SRHS Foundation. "At the end of our very first meetings, the Foundation board would sit around and talk about what needed to be done for hospice," Gramling said. "To have a place where people can die with dignity, and where families can share precious moments with their loved ones … that's what we wanted." Patients and families want the final days to be as calm and peaceful as possible, said Linda Harris, director of the Regional Hospice Home. "They want the end of life to approach in an environment that is home-like, safe and comfortable, filled with caring faces and genuine warmth," Harris said. "That is what a Hospice Home provides - a peaceful environment, in a restful setting, with compassionate, professional medical staff." Located on a 20-acre site only minutes from Spartanburg Regional's main campus, the Regional Hospice Home is filled with windows and flowers, creating a sense of connectedness with the carefully planned natural landscape that will surround the home. Seventy-five percent of Hospice users in South Carolina are 60 years of age and older. The number of Spartanburg County residents 65 years of age and older is expected to increase by 10 percent in the next five years, to nearly 35,000 people. Hospice patients suffer from a wide range of diseases, including cancer, heart disease, lung disease, Alzheimer's disease, neurological disorders, and AIDS. "While we try to provide hospice support to patients and their families in the patients' homes as much as possible, our extensive experience and research has taught us that in-home hospice services are not always the best alternative," said David Church, SRHS Executive Director of Community Services. That's why patients and families deserve a choice, said Rhonda Costner, director of Regional Hospice and Palliative Care Services. "There are situations in which another option must be available," Costner said. "We are happy to provide the Regional Hospice Home to these patients." Since 1980, Regional Hospice has provided professional and compassionate end of life care to more than 8,000 patients. In addition, it is the only Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations accredited hospice based in Spartanburg. As part of Spartanburg Regional, Regional Hospice has access to all the resources available through the hospital system, in addition to providing many support services, including massage therapy and bereavement camps for children. 
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