Press Releases

(JANESVILLE, WI) – On Saturday, February 27, HospiceCare will host Sips & Sounds, south central Wisconsin’s premier wine-tasting event, from 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. At a cost of $50 per person, guests will enjoy samples of exquisite wines and delectable hors d’oeuvres as music fills the air. A silent auction and a raffle with several fabulous prizes, including a top prize of $1,000 cash, will take place with all proceeds benefiting the patients and families served by HospiceCare Inc. The event will be held at the Pontiac Convention Center, 2809 N. Pontiac Drive in Janesville.

Registration is requested by Friday, February 19. To register call HospiceCare Inc. at (608) 755-1871 or register online at hospicecareinc.com . Attendees must be at least 21 years of age.

Contact: Dan Chin, Director of Public Affairs

Office:  (608) 327-7006   Cell:  (608) 438-2600

HospiceCare Inc. is a nonprofit, community-based hospice dedicated to providing physical, emotional and spiritual support to patients and families dealing with life-limiting illnesses. With offices in Madison and Janesville, HospiceCare serves residents in Dane, Green, Jefferson, Rock and Walworth counties.

###

(MADISON, WI) – HospiceCare Inc. has appointed JoAnn Kowalski as chief clinical officer. In this position, she will oversee all HospiceCare clinical programs, which include four in-home care teams, five long-term care teams, the inpatient unit and the residence at HospiceCare. 

“JoAnn has been instrumental in HospiceCare’s growth and prosperity. Her most notable accomplishments include her leadership of our quality and compliance department that ensures quality care for our patients and provides guidance and interpretation of federal and state regulations,” stated Susan Phillips, President/CEO.  “In addition, her leadership of the building projects that resulted in the Don & Marilyn Anderson HospiceCare Center, which opened in 2000, and the Ellen & Peter Johnson HospiceCare Residence, which opened in 2006, created a unique, state-of-the-art campus that is nationally recognized for providing inpatient hospice care.”

Since joining HospiceCare in July 1994, Kowalski, a registered nurse, has held several positions in the organization, most recently as vice president of quality and compliance, a position she held for more than five years.

Contact:           Dan Chin, Director of Public Affairs

Office:  (608) 327-7006   Cell:  (608) 438-2600

HospiceCare Inc. is a nonprofit, community-based hospice dedicated to providing physical, emotional and spiritual support to patients and families dealing with life-limiting illnesses. With offices in Madison and Janesville, HospiceCare serves residents in Dane, Rock, Green, Jefferson and Walworth counties.

Growing Number of Late Hospice Admissions a Concern for Hospices in Wisconsin

& Across the Country

(MADISON, WI) – A report released last week by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization [NHPCO] shows that more than 35 percent (35.4) of patients served by hospices in 2008 died or were discharged in seven days or less. This reflects a 4.6 percent increase from 2007, when 30.8 percent of patients had what is considered a short hospice experience.

“Patient and Family satisfaction surveys for HospiceCare often reflect the disappointment of family members in regards to the length of time they are with HospiceCare, saying that we were so helpful, they wish they had HospiceCare sooner,” said Lisa Sherven, HospiceCare Inc. director of access.

Hospice is a unique form of healthcare in that it offers each patient an interdisciplinary care team providing expert pain and symptom management as well as psychosocial support and spiritual care. Hospice is designed to best serve patients and families for a six-month period. Patients and families receiving care for seven days or less are often unable to take full advantage of these services due to the short time they are hospice patients.

HospiceCare Inc has focused community education on the benefits of longer lengths of service and has decreased the percentage of patients who die in seven days or less by one percent each year to 28.8 percent in 2008. However, 28.8 percent is equivalent to more than 500 patients a year, plus their families, who do not receive the full benefit of hospice services due to a short experience.

Community physicians often point to cases where advanced directives are not completed, and children are faced with making healthcare decisions for their parents, often opting for more treatment until the very end versus pursuing the comfort measures provided by a hospice.

“The advance care planning provision that has been so hotly debated in health care reform discussions could be an important mechanism for helping dying Americans avoid hospice experiences that are too short to fully help them or their family caregivers,” said Donald Schumacher, NHPCO president and CEO.

“Studies show that there are times where more treatment can actually decrease the quality and length of life for some patients,” said Sherven. “In fact, a 2007 study found that hospice patients lived an average of 29 days longer than non-hospice patients.”

“NHPCO Facts and Figures: Hospice Care in America,” was released by NHPCO as the hospice and palliative care community begins to mark National Hospice/Palliative Care Month, an annual month of awareness and outreach celebrated every November.

REFERENCE:
“Comparing Hospice and Nonhospice Patient Survival Among Patients Who Die Within a Three-Year Window”

http://www.hospicecareinc.com/study-finds-hospice-patients-live-longer-2.html

Contact:          
Dan Chin, Director of Public Affairs

Mobile:  (608) 438-2600

Office:  (608) 327-7006
email

HospiceCare Inc. is a nonprofit, community-based hospice dedicated to providing physical, emotional and spiritual support to patients and families dealing with life-limiting illnesses. With offices in Madison and Janesville, HospiceCare serves residents in Dane, Green, Jefferson, Rock and Walworth counties.

###

HospiceCare Inc. Promotes Six Staff Members

(MADISON, WI) – Due to growth in referrals and patient census, HospiceCare Inc. is pleased to announce the internal reorganization of its clinical and non-clinical leadership, resulting in the promotion of six staff members. The following leaders were promoted: Sarah Bealles, Deirdre Youngs, Kelly Fischer, Jane Quinn, Lisa Sherven and Ron Galdes.  

Bealles has been promoted to the new role of executive vice president/chief financial officer. In this role, she will oversee the finance, facility operations and information technology departments. Bealles has been with HospiceCare since December 2005, most recently as the chief financial officer. 

Youngs has been promoted to the director of general inpatient care. In this role, she will oversee the operations of the HospiceCare inpatient unit. Youngs has been with HospiceCare since October of 1999, most recently as director of the in-home program and clinical practice.     

Fischer has been promoted to director of home care. In this position, she will assume leadership responsibility for the in-home teams and continue to lead the long-term care teams. Fisher has been with HospiceCare since April 2002, most recently as the director of long term care partners team.   

Sherven has been promoted to director of access. In this role, she will assume leadership of the 24/7 and crisis care teams, as she continues to lead  the admissions team. Sherven has been with HospiceCare since May 2000, most recently as director of admissions and clinical outreach.     

Quinn has been named as vice president of regional services, education and research. In this role, she will work with community health partners in education and research projects, lead process improvement projects and will be working with teams to integrate the Baldrige Award criteria into the daily work of HospiceCare. Quinn has been with HospiceCare since June 1992, most recently as vice president of HospiceCare’s Rock County location.  

Galdes has been promoted to director of facility support services.  In this role, he will lead the facilities operations, purchasing and distribution and food services teams. Galdes has been with HospiceCare since July 2006, most recently as physical plant manager. 

Contact: Dan Chin, Director of Public Affairs
Office:  (608) 327-7006   Cell:  (608) 438-2600

HospiceCare Inc. is a nonprofit, community-based hospice dedicated to providing physical, emotional and spiritual support to patients and families dealing with life-limiting illnesses. With offices in Madison and Janesville, HospiceCare serves residents in Dane, Rock, Green, Jefferson and Walworth counties. 

###