WhidbeyHealth’s hospice and palliative departments finally have a place of their own, and will soon be featured on national television.
Thanks to community donations, WhidbeyHealth was able to buy the $741,667 red building at 101 NE Birch St. in Coupeville, located right next to the hospital.
The hospital’s palliative and hospice services are also set to be featured in the PBS show “Viewpoint,” hosted by actor Dennis Quaid. According to Brandy Butler, who manages WhidbeyHealth’s marketing and community relations, the segment will likely air in January and will talk about the importance of palliative and hospice care in rural communities.
For the purchase, the WhidbeyHealth Hospital Foundation contributed $699,999 from community donations specifically designated for hospice, according to Foundation Director Rainy Simpson. Among those benefactors is Louis Logan, a resident who, upon his passing, gifted $290,000 to the hospice to show his gratitude for the care his late wife Leona Logan received.
“We’re really proud to represent the donors who are really excited to give back to the people that provide care in their most tender moments,” Simpson said.
The rest was covered by the hospital, she said.
During an open house event on Wednesday, Hospice Manager Claire Milnes said she was glad for the move. This is the fourth location she has worked in since she joined the hospice program seven years ago.
Until recently, the hospice and the palliative care teams worked inside the hospital’s administrative wing, a location that made them less visible and accessible to families seeking help, said Hospice Medical Director Shana Fogarty. Even some hospital staff didn’t know where to find them, she said.
“Nobody could find us,” she said. “Ever.”
Before moving into the hospital, the hospice was located in a building a few blocks away from the Women’s Clinic in town. That building, which was much more visible, was eventually sold in an effort to reduce costs amid the hospital’s financial crisis, Fogarty said.
“Giving up that space, while very difficult, was the right thing to do to help accomplish what the organization needed,” she said.
Milnes said that while palliative and hospice care have their differences, they both offer a care model that is different than what the rest of the hospital offers.
Palliative care is for people with serious illnesses who need help managing symptoms, emotions and side effects from treatment, while hospice is for those who are nearing the end of their life and want to die comfortably rather than cure the disease.
Jerry Sanders, the man who contributed to the creation of Whidbey’s first Medicare certified hospice program and recently retired after serving as the hospice’s medical director, said patients often transition from palliative care to hospice care, so having the two departments in the same building was a good move.
The palliative care team can be found on the first floor, while the hospice care team occupies the second floor. While the 3,100-square-foot building does not house patients, it will bring significant improvements to the services by providing a central place where staff can take care of paperwork, grab supplies and take lunch breaks, according to Milnes. In the past, she said, staff members have often had to do these things in their car.
“A team that is cared for a little bit better can therefore provide better care to our community,” she said.
WhidbeyHealth’s palliative and hospice teams celebrated the purchase of the new building with an open house event last Wednesday. (Photo by Luisa Loi)
