hospicechesapeake.org
HOSPICE OF THE CHESAPEAKE FOUNDATION NEWSLETTER | SUMMER 2021
Letter from our President Dear Friends:
Through the past year and a half of this historic pandemic, Hospice of the Chesapeake has managed to grow as a nonpro�it in ways that are unprecedented in our industry.
On the following pages, you will read about how through donations and a bond from the state of Maryland, we are upgrading the Inpatient Care Center in Waldorf with a focus of delivering the highest quality care available to the Charles County community. The inpatient care center has new �looring, paint and state-of-the-art patient beds, the Hussman Supportive Care Center is ready to see patients and there will soon be areas set aside for our grief support and education teams. Our team spent countless hours creating videos and podcasts so even during lockdown we could share the expert advice of our clinical specialists and help our care partners gain important skills and knowledge. This turn to online learning has resulted in our reaching even more people than the in-person community events and workshops we have offered pre-pandemic.
And though we are excited about the return to in-person fundraising with our Golf Tournament and Gala, we have learned more about virtual fundraising events as well. Our Tuscan Twilight Tasting virtual wine tasting event raised $28,000 and perhaps shared a new appreciation for opera and Italian wines for more than a few of us. The community’s investment in our storied organization allows us to re-invest our innovation and knowledge back into the community. In the end, it all leads to a team of experts caring for more patients and more families in more homes, more healthcare centers and more assisted living and skilled nursing centers.
As you’ll read in the article about her experience, Bonnie Stein said she wouldn’t even consider going through end of life without hospice. We say to her and to you, we couldn’t do it without you. With gratitude,
Michael J. Brady President and Chief Executive Of�icer
Letter from our Chief Medical Officer Dear Friends,
For good reasons, the pandemic has us talking a lot about supportive care in the last year. We have created community education videos, published blogs and written articles all to educate our communities.
Our supportive care team has been reaching out through webinars, workshops and presentations to community organizations and our healthcare partners to promote the promise of hope that comes with supportive care. We are passionate for how it helps bring comfort to patients and families by putting them in control of how we treat their advanced illness and chronic, complex disease.
Supportive care introduces a model of care that promotes advance care planning and patient-centered goals. We focus on preparing patients for all that living with illness requires. Supportive care encourages patients to live their best lives possible. By including spiritual and psycho-social professionals along with the medical clinicians in their goals of care, they are preparing families to be able to cope with stress and challenges they will face as they progress with illness. The value of this is often not covered fully by reimbursement from Medicare and private insurance. Typically, only the cost of the physician and nurse practitioner are covered. The expenses associated with our social worker, chaplain and other team members are supported by you, our donors, and grants and gifts from state and local government and the community. You’ll read about this gap and about the generous gift from the Hussman Foundation later in this newsletter. We are very grateful to John and Terri Hussman and the many others who have contributed to helping us in the phenomenal growth of our supportive care program across the counties we serve. As you learn more, you will see that they share our passion for our mission of caring for life throughout the journey with illness and loss. Gratefully,
Eric Bush, MD, RPh, MBA Chief Medical Of�icer
supportive care
Filling the gap with
Brian Thompson calls Aug. 29, 2013, his new birthday. That was the day when the Navy veteran learned he had stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer. He was 43.
He told the doctors to give him everything he could handle. “All of them were saying, ‘Hey, how you’re going to beat this is up here’,” Brian said, pointing to his head. “They said, we could give you all the medicine that technology provides, but you have to have a positive mindset.” Soon after his new birthday, Brian was referred to Eric Bush, MD, who was at that time Medical Director for Frederick Memorial Pain and Palliative Care and Hospice of Frederick County. “I walked into his of�ice, and of course I was a mess. Because I thought, am I going to live a month? Am I going to live six months? I really didn't know.” He went to him for pain management, and that was important. But most importantly, Dr. Bush put him and his whole family at ease. “The main thing for me is he helped me up here, in my mind,” Brian said.
Eight years later, he is still seeing Dr. Bush but in the Hussman Supportive Care Center on the John & Cathy Belcher Campus. He shared his story because he wants people to be aware of how supportive care is helping him live not only a longer life, but a quality life.
The power of supportive care is precisely why John and Terri Hussman donated a gift through the Hussman Foundation to fund a multi-year plan to expand the reach of supportive care. The Hussmans have had their own experiences of not getting support for an ailing loved one and then other experiences of a family member who did get supportive care early. Terri said the contrast in the experiences is remarkable. They hope that with this gift, more people will be able to get that comfort, support and holistic approach. They want patients to feel comfortable sharing with their care teams their goals for their illness with knowledge and con�idence that it will be honored.
John referred to a quote that listening to the suffering of the world is how to bring it relief. A great part of supportive care is listening. With that in mind, the gift was in line with the vision of their family’s commitment to the community. “The mission with the Hussman Foundation has always been to alleviate suffering,” Their donation is already at work as we open a second supportive care outpatient center in Waldorf. The new Hussman Supportive Care Center already has a team in place to care for people like Brian who are living with complex and chronic health conditions.
Supportive care �ills a much-needed gap between the treatment someone receives when �irst diagnosed with a life-limiting disease and the moment when a family chooses hospice care. From the beginning the team serves as advocates for patients as they determine the right care for their disease. When it’s time to discuss end-of-life care, supportive care patients are prepared, making the transition less stressful and on their own terms.
John and Terri Hussman
At the same time, there is also a gap in how this care is paid for, as Dr. Bush wrote about in his letter on page 3. The gift from the Hussmans will make a great impact and it will help us reach more people who can bene�it from this type of care. We hope their generosity and Brian’s story will inspire others to listen to the suffering of the world and give to support the work of Chesapeake Supportive Care.
Eric Bush, MD, poses with his patient of 8 years, Brian Thompson, in the Hussman Supportive Care Center on the John & Cathy Belcher Campus in Pasadena.
To support Chesapeake Supportive Care, please contact foundation@hospicechesapeake.org or 443.837.3385.
How the Pandemic Grew Our Education Program By Tammy Turner, Community Education Manager When I �irst joined Hospice of the Chesapeake with a focus on community outreach and education, I was armed with the traditional brochures, �lyers, pamphlets and a projector to share presentations at libraries, senior centers, community halls and the like. I was frequently joined by one of our clinical team experts. We would hand out information, shake hands, and talk with groups of people about the importance of hospice and supportive care, advance care planning and grief and loss. Remember those days? Since the restrictions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, my toolkit looks very different – Zoom interviews, creating and editing videos, and facilitating webinars. I’m not going to sugarcoat it — it was a lot to learn, and we had to learn quickly. But through it all, we have been able to expand our reach to the community in providing education on advanced care planning, COVID-19 illness, care and vaccines, and grief support.
The need for information and knowledge about serious illness, end-of-life care and grief and loss has never been more important to our community. The need grew and we responded. Conversations about making advance care plans, completing a MOLST and coping with COVID-19 became regular everyday conversations like never before in our history and our experts were at the forefront of that education.
To support the John & Cathy Belcher Institute or to inquire about education for your community, please contact foundation@hospicechesapeake.org or 443.837.3385.
With the continued support of the John & Cathy Belcher Institute, we completed several pre-pandemic projects, including the premiere of our podcast, Grief from the Other Side, hosted by Amy Stapleton, bereavement manager. The podcast’s �irst season aired in January with three episodes sharing three young women’s inspirational journeys with grief and loss. The second season’s focus will be on Hospice of the Chesapeake team members sharing their personal grief stories and how they use their experiences to approach their care roles. While the education and outreach to our patient and families is always at the forefront of our mission, the education of our professional community and care partners is also an integral part of caring for life. We continued to offer continuing education programs virtually as webinars for social workers, counselors and therapists. We have received amazing feedback, and we recognize that we will continue to offer much of our learning programs online. This led us to partnering with the CE21 learning platform, a new management system that will allow us to provide integrated event management. CE21 will heighten the online learning experience for participants while giving us access to a one-stop shop to remain compliant with CEU accreditation board requirements.
As more people in the community get the COVID-19 vaccine and the CDC lessens restrictions, we are beginning our return to in-person outreach and educational events. In Prince George’s County, we participated in Dementia Friendly America’s Drive-Thru Caregiver Appreciation event in Greenbelt. The opportunity to meet so many businesses and organizations in the community at the Charles County Chamber of Commerce’s Big Back-to-Business Bash at Waldorf’s Regency Furniture in June was reinvigorating. It was an amazing opportunity to meet potential new community and health partners and spread awareness of hospice care bene�its. Other small and large in-person events are in the works.
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Bonnie Stein:
The Gift of Hospice Bonnie Stein spent 30 years of her life in wealth management helping people through estate and end-of-life planning. It was an expertise that led her to serve on the board of directors for Arundel Hospice which would ultimately become Hospice of the Chesapeake. Last summer, she suddenly found herself in a position where she was having to listen to her own advice. Her father, a healthy man in his early 80s, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. When his physician said he should call hospice, Bonnie told him, “I already have.”
Her father knew he didn’t want chemotherapy, she knew it was imperative to avoid hospitalization, especially with the restrictions of COVID-19. “Our family's goal became more one of comfort and meaning for whatever time he had left. And with that, hospice went into high gear. The hospital bed arrived, the walker, all of the equipment, the incredible nurses, the nursing assistants, the chaplain, the social worker,” she said. “We felt supported in ways that we didn't even know we needed to be supported.” As a self-titled “walking, talking billboard for hospice,” she knows there is no way insurance covered the actual cost of the care her father received, much less the value of what it did for her and her family. Which is why she continues to give generously and encourages others to consider the same. Her time on the board of directors taught her no donation is too small. “You would be amazed how those $50 and $100 donations really add up. They cover really important items.”
Watch Bonnie Stein share her hospice story online at bit.ly/BonnieStein.
It is critical care that you may need literally tomorrow. Bonnie’s father went from a healthy individual in July to passing on Aug. 29. Yet this very proud career Navy chief petty of�icer still received an Honor Salute to honor his sacri�ices on behalf of our nation. Days away from his death, he held his hand up to his brow and returned the salute through a window to volunteer Bill Lovelace standing outside. “It was the most meaningful thing to my dad, which made it meaningful for me and for my daughter, too,” Bonnie said. Sadly, her husband was recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s, so she knows the care from our team is in her future yet again. “I wouldn’t even consider going through this without hospice,” Bonnie said.
Honoring a Labor of Love in Charles County When the new Hospice of Charles County center opened to great fanfare in 2012, it was in many ways a “home-warming” for the passionate individuals, businesses and organizations that willed it into existence. The center faithfully and eloquently provided excellent care to hundreds of patients and families for nearly a decade.
The second-�loor administrative of�ices have been reimagined for our team members that will include a large clinical drop-in space for �ield clinicians. There is a reception area and a large �lexible space where volunteers can work on projects that also can be used to host events. The �loors were insulated to help make the patient suites below quieter.
include a family consultation room, examination room and of�ice.
The investment, upgrades and updates are designed to honor the work of the hospice teams, the generous donors who have supported hospice care for decades and those who continue to support expanding care in the Charles County community. “This building and the care provided here are so cherished,” Chabot said. “We want to continue that legacy of care. We want it to continue to be well-loved.”
In the �inal phase later this year, the lower level will be Like anything that is well-loved and well-used, it renovated to include space for the grief support groups deserved much-needed updates. Immediately upon and individual counseling sessions. As well there will be merging with Charles County, our team created a plan to make signi�icant investments including technology an education and training center for our clinical teams that will include smartboards and infrastructure, staf�ing, physical a mock patient room. and decorative updates. With the To support hospice care in support of a bond bill from the Chief Advancement Of�icer state of Maryland we began Charles County, please contact Shauna Chabot said, “We couldn’t upgrading infrastructure and giving@hospiceofcharlescounty.org have achieved this refresh renovating every �loor of the without state Delegate Edith or 301.861.5315. three-level building. Patterson, who was instrumental in �inalizing the support of the The physical updates are moving bond.” Funds are still needed to complete the project quickly, with new �loors and fresh paint throughout. On that is estimated to have a �inal cost nearing $500,000. the �irst �loor, refreshed patient suites have new We are overwhelmed by the support we have received state-of-the-art beds, smart TVs and comfortable chairs from the Charles County community during this that convert to sleepers. Soon, we will open the process. Hussman Supportive Care Center in one wing. It will
PHOTOS LEFT TO RIGHT: The Family Room, Patient Room, The Sanctuary
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Generous Donor Helps ensure Compassionate Care Decades after her husband’s passing under hospice care in 1982, Audrey Clark remembered the nurses and aides who came to their home. “Uncle Bob struggled with lung cancer and Aunt Audrey always said how important hospice care was for them,” niece Wendy Welch said. “They didn’t have children and I think she appreciated talking with people who understood what was happening. Hospice was there when she felt so alone.” Theirs was a railroad romance – both worked for B&O Railroad. After her husband died, Audrey became �iercely independent. Well into her 80s, she cleared snow and leaves from walkways, refusing offers of help. Wendy remembers her aunt’s generosity to her family while living a frugal life.
For nearly 30 years, Audrey would make an annual donation to support hospice care. In 2019, at age 92, she passed away. Loyal to organizations she cared about, she bequeathed a generous bequest to Hospice of the Chesapeake. The gift came with no restrictions other than to fund hospice’s needs, her way of honoring the memory of her husband’s care. “This extraordinary gift helps ensure we are here far into the future to support patients and families with compassionate care,” President and CEO Mike Brady said. “Audrey Clark’s generosity strengthens us, to prepare for whatever is ahead.” Wendy misses her aunt and is proud of her. “I’m excited for my Aunt Audrey,” she said. “She was able to make a signi�icant impact on a cause that meant so much to her for many years.”
Audrey and Bob Clark
How Your Gift Helps By making a gift through your will or estate plan, you provide comfort for future patients and families, ensuring we are here when time matters most. Contact us to learn more. Read more: hospicechesapeake.planmygift.org
Contact: Foundation@hospicechesapeake.org or 443.837.3385
Leadership As a not-for-pro�it organization we are governed by a group of community and business leaders who give generously of their time and talent in support of our mission of caring for life throughout the journey with illness and loss. We are incredibly grateful for their ongoing contributions and their steadfast support of the care we provide. Hospice of the Chesapeake, Inc. Board of Directors
Hospice of the Chesapeake Foundation Board of Directors
Chair: Brian Gibbons Vice Chair: Nancy R. Smit Treasurer: James Wilburn Secretary: Joyce R. Phillip Member At Large: Michael DeStefano Charles Bagley IV John Belcher Noel Cervino JoAnn DeCesaris Thomas B. Howell, Sr., Susan M. Huff James I. Humphrey, Emeritus David Hunt Rev. Dr. James G. Kirk, Emeritus Tricia Lehmann Tim McDonough Craig Muckle Martha O’Herlihy, Emeritus Michael J. Pappas Delegate Edith J. Patterson Adam I. Riker David E. Weng
Chair: Theresa K. Hussman Vice Chair: Jason Cherry Secretary: Susan Duncan Treasurer: Mary Frances Isakov Cathy Adelman Cathy Belcher Kevin Campion Russell Jones Carol Kasper, Emeritus Jerry Klasmeier, Emeritus Alex G. Laperouse Bill Love William Lovelace Stacy Martin Lisa Renfro Challie Samaras Ken Stanley Tony Toskov
Hospice of the Chesapeake Prince George’s County Advisory Committee
Hospice of the Chesapeake Charles County Advisory Committee
Carlesa Finney Theresa K. Hussman Shelly Gross-Wade Sharon Moore Jackson Edith Perry
Janette Acevedo Melani Bell Susan Green Jason I. Henry Delegate Edith J. Patterson Albert Zanger
Save Date! THE
18th annual Golf Tournament Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021 An Evening Under the Tuscan Sky Gala Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021
For Details Visit: hospicechesapeake.org/ giving/attend-an-event
hospicechesapeake.org
Support Our Hospice Heroes Give dignity and compassion for patients at end of life. Offer comfort to loved ones who grieve. Build a caring community. Your care is needed now, more than ever, during COVID-19 and beyond.
Learn more about individual gifts, monthly giving, bequests, sponsorships, and other ways to make a difference in the lives of others. Visit hospicechesapeake.org/giving. Call 443.837.3385 to give by phone or to learn more.
Thanks to you, so much is possible for patients, families, and our community.