Thanks to an anonymous donation, the staff members of WhidbeyHealth Hospice will soon have their own space outside of the hospital in Coupeville.

The board of Whidbey Island’s public hospital district voted last week to purchase a 3,100-square-foot building at 101 Northeast Birch Street in Coupeville.

The hospital conducted three appraisals on the property to determine the purchase price of $725,000, according to hospital spokesperson Conor O’Brien. The WhidbeyHealth Hospital Association will fund the majority of the purchase from community donations, including a $600,000 donation from a family of a hospice patient; the use of the money is restricted to the hospice.

In addition, the association is allocating $100,000 of unrestrictive donations to the purchase. The hospital district is picking up the final $25,000, O’Brien said.

Claire Milnes, the hospice manager, explained that the program provides services in people’s homes, assisted living facilities and nursing homes. The hospice care team is made up of 18 professionals, including nurses, social workers, a chaplain and physicians, as well as volunteers.

Yet the staff currently works out of an awkward space inside the hospital that’s not always easy for families to find. The office space acts as a hub for the employees and a place to store supplies. It’s also the site of volunteer training, patient care meetings and bereavement support.

Milnes said having a separate, dedicated building for the hospice staff will be invaluable. The hospital’s palliative services, which is a separate but related program, will also share the building.

Hospice services are unique within the medical profession since the goal isn’t to cure or treat disease or disorder.

“It’s not skill driven. It’s about connecting with patients,” she said. “It’s a beautiful, simple care.”

The program provides comprehensive, around-the-clock hospice services to people nearing the end of their lives due to end-stage illness. The services address pain and other symptoms as well as emotional and spiritual needs for the individual and the family.

Milnes explained that the hospice services care for about 250 individuals each year, with about 35 people at any one time.

Dr. Shana Fogarty, the hospice medical director, said the work is rewarding and it’s a privilege to be able to assist people and their families through the experience.

The program has a strong volunteer program. The volunteers don’t provide direct care, Milnes said, but can assist families in many ways, such as staying with patients to provide respite for other caregivers, helping around the house or even going on errands.

According to O’Brien, the hospital leaders hope that the hospice staff will be able to move into the new building by the end of summer.

WhidbeyHealth Hospice can be reached at 360-914-5635. Information about the services can be found online at whidbeyhealth.org/services/hospice.