Business Profile \u2013 Sacred Journey Hospice

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BUSINESS PROFILE

Sacred Journey Hospice

About Sacred Journey Hospice

Nestled under a well-manicured lawn of shade trees and shrubs, Sacred Journey Hospice sits quietly off of Peach Drive in McDonough, Georgia. Here, the operation of dedicated, professionals center themselves on providing comfort and compassion for clients who are in hospice as well as their families. Hospice care is provided to clients in their homes or a facility, or wherever they reside.

McDonough is home to Sacred Journey’s 12-bed, in-patient facility with a nursing station that serves as the nucleus for round-the-clock patient care.

Sacred Journey Hospice is the first Hospice in Henry County and the longest serving hospice in the area. It serves an area that covers approximately one-third of the state of Georgia and has offices in Alpharetta, Newnan and McDonough. Its McDonough location is the original birthplace, founded in 2001 by five Oncology nurses who had a dream to provide special end-of-life care in this community. It started with a little white house on the McDonough site that was converted into office space. Their dream was to have an inpatient facility to help those patients who are in crisis or when families need a time of respite. The dream became reality in 2004 when they opened their newly built Hospice facility at the original site.

McDonough is home to Sacred Journey’s 12-bed, in-patient facility with a nursing station that serves as the nucleus for round-the-clock patient care. Whether in-patient, in their home, assisted living, nursing home, or personal care home, Sacred Journey offers multiple types of care. Administered by a team that is assigned to each client, the team meets bi-weekly to review the patient’s needs and those of the patient’s family. Each team will consist of a member from the staff of doctors who prescribe and develop the patient care plan and protocol and nurses and Certified Nursing Assistants who carry out the care plan. Additional forms of care provided by members of the patient’s hospice team include a non-denominationally trained Chaplin, a social worker who is focused on the family throughout the hospice period and assists with community services, veteran services, and psychosocial needs. Volunteers are also a part of the team and assist in providing relief to the caregivers or other family members as needed. Bereavement specialists are available for up to 13 months to provide counseling, grief support and other services including memorials and tree plantings.

Antoine Daniels, Sacred Journey Hospice 2018 CNA of the Year.

Sacred Journey Hospice emphasizes that hospice is not a place; it is a model of care. Their mantra “This is Your Journey,” expresses their understanding that every patient’s experience is different and that their goal is to make them as comfortable as possible, meet their daily needs, satisfy last wishes and help them each to have peace of mind along their unique journey. In their commitment to serving veterans, Sacred Journey is a level 4 and soon to be level 5 partner of the VA program “We Honor Veterans.”

Director of Volunteer Services, Lauren Keefer, indicates that on average, hospice care begins with a prognosis that one has six months or less to live. “However, hospice can extend much longer and the sooner it’s started the better off the experience. Sudden loss is especially hard. Hospice helps families make plans together and gives them a chance to do and say the things they need to,” Lauren explains.

Antoine Daniels, who has been a Sacred Journey Hospice employee for a year and 2018 CNA of the Year, says that working in hospice is best suited for his personality and attitude. “I want to make everyone comfortable and happy. Having an understanding that what they are going through is not easy, I want my patients to think of me as a friend and when I leave the room, I try to leave them smiling.”

In the Community

Sacred Journey Hospice extends their commitment to their clients and to the community through a number of hospice related programs. The Sacred Journey Hospice Foundation is a non-profit affiliate of Sacred Journey Hospice, which serves families of hospice patients that have special needs. This year, Sacred Journey Hospice will host a golf tournament that presents opportunities for the community to offer financial assistance and support for kids ages 6-16 who have recently lost a loved one. Their Camp Horizon, a children’s grief camp, is a free, day-long camp that provides emotional support and coping skills that kids need. Sacred Journey is seeking sponsors and participants for its first annual Charity Golf Tournament which takes place on May 3 at the Cotton Field Golf Club in McDonough. All proceeds will go to support Camp Horizon enabling Sacred Journey Hospice to offer the camp at no cost to youth in the program.

Chamber Involvement

Gwen Parks, one of the original five founding nurses, has been active with the Small Business Council since Sacred Journey Hospice became a Chamber member in 2002.

Sacred Journey has been a member of the Chamber since 2002 and has been actively involved through the volunteer efforts of staff members. Volunteer Coordinator and Community Liaison, Debra Wells, has served as an Ambassador with the Chamber since 2014.

Gwen Parks is one of the original five oncology nurses and owners of Sacred Journey Hospice and, along with Robin Stanton, the firm’s Chief Financial Officer, continues to work as a member of the staff. Gwen remembers that when they started the business, theirs was the first and only hospice service in Henry County. After they joined the Chamber in 2002, Gwen became active in the Small Business Council, which she continues to support to this day. Gwen shared, “Before we added the in-patient facility in 2004, people had to go outside of Henry County for in-patient hospice. The Chamber was very supportive of us because we were the only hospice serving the area. The relationships I’ve made working with the Chamber have led to many referrals through the years.”

Location

Sacred Journey Hospice, 138 Peach Drive McDonough, GA 30253, (678) 583-0717

Jack Draughon, President Sacred Journey Hospice

Jack Draughon

Jack Draughon bought Sacred Journey Hospice in 2016. As President and owner, Jack drives the culture and created the core values that set the tone for how Sacred Journey Hospice cares for its patients and their families. Jack assures clients from a place of personal hospice experience and invites them to contact him personally if they ever need assistance. Posted on the company web site, he writes, “I remember being in your shoes with my own family just ten years ago. The stress and worry for a loved one with a lifelimiting illness can be confusing and overwhelming. My goal then was to find the right organization to fulfill our medical needs as well as provide the spiritual and emotional needs of our heart-broken family. We were fortunate and found the right fit for us. I learned a great deal from this experience and am proud to represent Sacred Journey Hospice today because I understand what you and your family are facing and we are here to help any way we can.”