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Hospice of Southern Illinois’ Heroes

March 20, 2018

Who is your hero? Ask any child and the answer will range from family members to Superman. Ask Val and he will quickly tell you his heroes are hundreds of people he doesn’t even know who have donated to Hospice of Southern Illinois. “I completely underestimated the impact of donating money locally throughout my life. I always thought that since I couldn’t give a lot of money to charities that my donation didn’t really matter. Now I know I was so wrong.”

Social Worker counseling a family member

Val has been attending Hospice of Southern Illinois’ weekly support group. Bereavement services are provided by an interdisciplinary team made up of licensed employees and volunteers specially trained in bereavement and spiritual care. We offer and provide to grieving families, a minimum of 13 months of bereavement support and counseling. Our grief and loss services are ongoing, open to the public, at no cost to the recipient and not exclusive to Hospice of Southern Illinois’ patients or their loved ones.

Hospice is a special healthcare option for patients and families who are faced with a terminal illness. Patient care focuses on pain and symptom management, with the goal of enhancing quality of life. Family care ranges from caregiver preparation and education to emotional, spiritual and grief support. Hospice of Southern Illinois is a not-for-profit, community based hospice offering Southern Illinois and Metro-East communities a range of services for all individuals at the end of life, since 1981.

Social Worker counseling a family member

Hospice care is a covered service under Medicare, Medicaid and many private insurance companies. All bereavement care is non-reimbursable. Because we never charge for supportive services after the loss of a loved one, receiving financial support is essential to the livelihood of addressing the needs of those grieving. While many grieving family members might look at the counselors as the heroes, you and those who fund our programs are also a fundamental piece of this service. Simply put….we couldn’t do what we do without you.
There are several ways to give. Gifts of cash, checks or electronic transfers are the most popular ways to give; however, we also accept gifts of securities, retirement plans, living wills or trusts and other sources.

If you’ve already given, THANK YOU! If you haven’t, please consider giving locally to Hospice of Southern Illinois so you can be a HERO to someone right here in your own community. Become a Hospice Hero today!

Click Here to Donate Now

Happy Social Work Month

March 8, 2018

Kicking off National Social Work Month, Hospice of Southern Illinois sends gratitude and appreciation to all Social Workers and Bereavement Counselors. The 2018 Social Work Month theme, “Social Workers: Leaders. Advocates. Champions,” will inform the public about the past and present role of social workers in helping the most vulnerable people in our society as well as their role in improving the lives of all Americans.

At Hospice of Southern Illinois, social workers and bereavement counselors’ roles are vast. The counseling team focuses on emotional and spiritual support, with a holistic approach, to ensure patients and their loved ones are comfortable, educated and at peace. They prepare the patient and family for the caregiving role in their home or home-like setting. They work one-on-one with families to get affairs in order to establish an advance directive and end-of-life planning, like naming a healthcare power of attorney and addressing funeral plans. Additionally, they offer veteran-centric care, working with Veterans, Veterans Affairs (VA), and the local VA Service Officers to advocate for entitled benefits. Further, coping with grief after the loss of a loved one is a different experience for everyone. Hospice of Southern Illinois’ bereavement services can provide resources and coping tools to help provide peace of mind during months of uncertainty. Social workers and bereavement counselors’ benefit individual patients and families, but they touch the community at large too, offering support groups, educational presentations, and grief counseling.

Hospice of Southern Illinois wants to take this opportunity to applaud the work of social workers and bereavement counselors, rallying and celebrating their work to help others. This very special month is important to recognize their efforts in advocating patient rights, connecting educational resources and providing emotional, spiritual and holistic support to help improve the quality of life for people in southern Illinois and the Metro-East. Thank you for your dedication! You are appreciated!

We Honor Veterans, Level 4 Status Achieved

February 8, 2018

WE HONOR VETERANS LEVEL 4 STATUS ACHIEVED

We Honor Veterans Program Logo Level 4

A surprising 25 percent of those who die every year in the United States are Veterans. As a dedicated national partner of the We Honor Veterans Program, an awareness campaign developed by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization in collaboration with the Department of Veteran Affairs, Hospice of Southern Illinois’ Marion Location celebrates the milestone of achieving We Honor Veterans’ Partner Level 4 Status, the highest recognition for this program. Vicki Griffin, Hospice of Southern Illinois’ Clinical Services Manager, shares her excitement

, “Our team has learned so much and worked hard sharing this information in our communities to meet all the criteria to reach Level 4 in the We Honor Veterans Program. We are honored & humbled to serve those who have served our country.”

We Honor Veterans Partner Level Four Group Photo

Honored & humbled to serve those who have served our country.

Hospice of Southern Illinois is proud to continue their commitment and dedication to ensure Veterans have access to quality end-of-life care. The proximity to the Marion VA Medical Center, Scott Air Force Base, and local Veteran congregations gives the organization the opportunity to provide hospice care to a higher percentage of Veterans and their families in this region. In conjunction with We Honor Veterans focusing on respectful inquiry, compassionate listening, and grateful acknowledgment, this collaboration allows Hospice of Southern Illinois the privilege to focus on what is most important, to enhance the quality of life for Veteran patients and families and help them live their final days to the fullest.

Hospice of Southern Illinois is a not-for-profit organization serving 27 counties in Southern Illinois since 1981. For more information on We Honor Veterans or Hospice of Southern Illinois, please contact Deborah Hogg or Vicki Griffin, 618-997-3030, or visit our website www.hospice.org. You can also find Hospice of Southern Illinois (and how they continue taking strides to serve Veterans) on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, and their blog.

17 Ways Hospice of Southern Illinois Made an Impact in 2017

January 11, 2018

17 Ways Hospice of Southern Illinois Made an Impact in 2017

Hospice of Southern Illinois is looking forward to 2018 and is more committed to our mission than ever: to enhance the quality of life for individuals and their loved ones touched by a terminal illness.

Served over 39,000 families since 1981 – we are your local, not-for-profit hospice with our roots starting right here in Belleville and Marion.
Celebrated our 36^th year of service in this community – Hospice of Southern Illinois is the leader and has caregivers with expert experience in end-of-life care.
Welcomed Amy Richter as our President & CEO – our former CFO of 8 years stepped up to lead our mission-driven organization.
Presented with Business of the Year – received this honor from the City of Marion Chamber of Commerce for our dedication to the community.
Collaborated with community organization, Shoeman Water Project –we donated gently-used shoes to make clean water using the funds from shoes, which also got a 2nd life.
Volunteers donated over 10,000 hours – individuals came together and shared their time and talents with patients, families and employees to support our mission.
9% of volunteer hours were direct patient care – Medicare requires 5% of volunteer hours are patient care. Our dedicated volunteer team exceeded the requirement.
Achieved We Honor Veterans Partner, Level Four – showing our dedication to Veteran End-of-Life care, our Marion Location received the highest recognition of the We Honor Veterans Program.
Community Benefit Activities – we are committed to the communities we serve providing uncompensated services targeting community needs related to end-of-life care.
Presented and hosted over 150 presentations– we offer presentations, education, and resources at a minimal cost to healthcare professionals, organizations and community groups.
Welcomed Mandy Daniels as our PGY2 Pain and Palliative Care Pharmacist – our pharmacist provides direct patient benefits: streamlined symptom management and medication review for reduction of medication side-effects.
Hosted the Virtual Flight of Honor in Aviston, IL – Took over 25 Veterans, over 100 community members and several community leaders on a virtual tour of military monuments in Washington D.C. Veterans were then honored and recognized for their service.
Collaborated with community organization, Belleville Area Humane Society – we collected “wishlist” items for local animals to help improve their quality of life at the shelter.
Received a unique donation from “Bears Because I Care” – Noa Grace Welborn donated bears for distribution to children experiencing grief and loss of a loved one.
Reached 3,000 Likes on Facebook – we want to be your resource for hospice education and news locally. We appreciate the support of our advocates, patients and community online.
Our PGY2 Residency Program is American Society of Health-System Pharmacist (ASHP) Accredited – in collaboration with SIUE School of Pharmacy, we are the first and only ASHP accredited PGY2 in Pain and Palliative Care Pharmacy Residency Program fully funded by a hospice.
Celebrated a 109^th Birthday – our Belleville Location care team helped celebrate the life of a patient and her caregiver shared her appreciation for our care, support and the celebration.

	Hospice of Southern Illinois Nurse with Patient	Amy Richter, President and CEO
City of Marion Chamber Awards Dinner	Shoeman Community Project	Join our dedicated team of over 300 volunteers
Veteran Hospice Volunteer	We Honor Veterans Program Level 4 Status	Tree of Life Memorial Service to honor and memorialize loved ones
Community Education and Public Speaking	Dr. Mandy Daniels, PGY2 Pharmacy Resident	Virtual Flight of Honor in Aviston, Illinois
Belleville Humane Society Community Project	“Because I Care Bear” Donation for children experiencing grief	3,000 Facebook Likes
Dr. Ellen Middendorf, Dr. Chris Herndon, Dr. Mandy Daniels, Amy Richter, CEO (L to R)	109th Birthday Party

109th Birthday Celebration!

December 29, 2017

109th Birthday Celebration

109th Birthday Celebration in East St Louis, Illinois

Hospice of Southern Illinois is here to help improve quality of life, the very basis of the hospice philosophy. Improving quality of life includes celebrating life and special moments along the way, specifically a very special birthday of our patient, Parthena Mims. Parthena celebrated her 109th birthday on December 18, 2017. Family, friends, and Hospice of Southern Illinois’ caregivers and team surrounded her on this very special day. “Unbelievable,” adds Grandaughter, Carla Ransom, who shares her appreciation for Hospice of Southern Illinois’ quality care for her grandmother and the support she receives as a caregiver.

“They have been wonderful for her. All of her care and everything that she needs, they have been fantastic. Doesn’t matter what time of day or night, all I have to do is make a call and they are there,” Carla states. Utilizing Hospice of Southern Illinois’ programs and services sooner has allowed Carla to understand and experience the full range of services we provide including regular nursing visits, volunteer assistance, and social work support. Carla also mentions, “They have been great for me. The social worker gives me calls every other week to check on my status.” Hospice is the additional support caregivers can count on during the uncertainty in the months, weeks and days ahead. We are an extra helping hand for your loved one’s care and provide emotional support when you and your family need it most.

Learn what hospice care can do for you and your family before you need it. There comes a time… to ask how hospice can help.

Giving Tuesday 2017

November 28, 2017

Now in its sixth year, #GivingTuesday is a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration. Observed on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving.

Hospice of Southern Illinois’ mission is to enhance the quality of life for individuals and their loved ones touched by a terminal illness. We are proud to share that in 2016, 75% of Hospice of Southern Illinois’ dollars go towards programs and services. We are the experts in end-of-life care providing extra support to patients and their families. We ensure patients’ wishes, needs, and wants are carried out at the end of their life focusing on improving the individuals quality of life.

Black Friday. Cyber Monday. Giving Tuesday! Consider Hospice of Southern Illinois as your not-for-profit to donate to during the Giving Season! Generous financial support from the communities we serve allows Hospice of Southern Illinois to provide hospice care in the absence of insurance coverage. Thank you for supporting your local not-for-profit!

Click Here to Donate!

American Pharmacists Month: Myth 5

October 30, 2017

By: Amanda Daniels, PharmD, PGY-2 Pharmacy Resident in Pain and Palliative Care, Hospice of Southern Illinois

October is American Pharmacists Month and we are excited to present to you a series of myths throughout the month by our very own, Amanda Daniels, PharmD, PGY-2 Pharmacy Resident in Pain and Palliative Care! Our series will help expand your understanding of the field and debunk some myths in the field of pharmacy.

MYTH 5: Medications should be kept in the bathroom or near the kitchen sink

Many people like keeping their medications where they can be easily accessed. These spots include in the bathroom cabinet or on the counter near a sink. However, when kept in or near humid environments, your medications have the chance of breaking down more quickly and becoming less effective over time. To prevent this from happening, medications should be stored in a dry, cool area. Nightstands or dressers are a great spot to both store your medications properly and remind you to take your medications each day.

Click here to learn more about our PGY-2 Pharmacy Residency Program.

American Pharmacists Month: Myth 4

October 23, 2017

By: Amanda Daniels, PharmD, PGY-2 Pharmacy Resident in Pain and Palliative Care, Hospice of Southern Illinois

MYTH 4: You can stop taking your medication once you start feeling better.

Many people stop taking their medications because they started feeling better. This is particularly common with antibiotics and other medications that treat common diseases that individuals can’t feel, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol. If a person feels good and wants to stop taking medications, talk to a doctor or pharmacist. If it’s a prescribed course of antibiotics, it is crucial to finish out that course and take all of the medication as prescribed because of the increase in antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance is when bacteria start becoming unaffected by our available antibiotics and these antibiotics will no longer treat these common bacteria. When a full course of antibiotics is not finished, the bacteria that haven’t been killed become resistant. These resistant bacteria then start to grow and cause more infections that are harder to treat.

Click here to learn more about our PGY-2 Pharmacy Residency Program.

American Pharmacists Month: Myth 3

October 20, 2017

By: Amanda Daniels, PharmD, PGY-2 Pharmacy Resident in Pain and Palliative Care, Hospice of Southern Illinois

MYTH 3: Hospice stops all medications

It’s often said that family members wish to avoid hospice services because they’re afraid that hospice will stop all the patient’s medications. This is not true! Once admitted, the medical doctor will look over all medications and decide what is important to continue at that time. The medical doctor may stop medications that have no benefit, such as multivitamins, but may continue any other medications he or she feels is necessary to aid in patient comfort. If there is any question regarding why certain medications are stopped or continued, please ask a hospice team member. The primary goal of hospice is to aid in patient comfort.

Click here to learn more about our PGY-2 Pharmacy Residency Program.

American Pharmacists Month: Myth 2

October 16, 2017

By: Amanda Daniels, PharmD, PGY-2 Pharmacy Resident in Pain and Palliative Care, Hospice of Southern Illinois

MYTH 2: Natural supplements are always safe.

When you think of natural supplements, it is often thought that these are safe because they come from nature. What many individuals don’t know is that these supplements are not held to the same standards that medications are when it comes to quality and purity. Since these supplements are not regulated as strictly, these supplements may have other ingredients that aren’t listed on the label, some of which can be very dangerous by themselves or when mixed with other medications. In addition, some supplements that people take for various reasons have major drug interactions with commonly prescribed medications. For this reason, it is advised to let a doctor or pharmacist know any over-the-counter supplements being taken. This helps ensure that all of these supplements and medications are working safely together and people aren’t in danger from any major drug interactions.

Click here to learn more about our PGY-2 Pharmacy Residency Program.

Hospice of Southern Illinois’ Heroes

Happy Social Work Month

We Honor Veterans, Level 4 Status Achieved

17 Ways Hospice of Southern Illinois Made an Impact in 2017

109th Birthday Celebration!

Giving Tuesday 2017

American Pharmacists Month: Myth 5

American Pharmacists Month: Myth 4

American Pharmacists Month: Myth 3

American Pharmacists Month: Myth 2

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