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Celebrating 25 Years of Service 1981 – 2006
 This year, Hospice and Palliative Care Partners of Ohio (HPCPO) is celebrating 25 years of End-of-Life services. Hospice started in 1981 by three nurses; Roberta Laurie, Joan Parks and Joan Cochran who were the founding members of the organization. Through their vision and advocacy, Hospice grew from an organization of 3 nurses to an organization of over 100 employees. Today, Hospice serves over 1,000 patients annually in seven northeast Ohio counties: Cuyahoga, Lorain, Medina, Summit, Lake, Geauga and Portage.
Here are 25 Interesting Facts about Hospice and Palliative Care Partners of Ohio:
Our Roots
| 25. |
We are an agency of the Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) of Cleveland. |
| 24. |
VNA was founded in 1902 to serve the “sick poor.” |
| 23. |
VNA is one of the oldest and largest home care agencies in the United States. |
| 22. |
The early nurses worked out of neighborhood settlement houses. They walked, rode bicycles or took streetcars to visit patients in their homes. |
| 21. |
The VNA of Cleveland initiated the Anti-Tuberculosis League, began Industrial Nursing, started School Nursing in Cleveland schools, published one of the first professional nursing journals and established the first Maternal/Child program. |
Our Hospice Story
| 20. |
Our hospice was one of the first hospice programs in Northeast Ohio. |
| 19. |
As members of the community-funded Hospice Council of Northern Ohio, we helped bring the hospice idea to Cuyahoga County in l979. |
| 18. |
In 1981, sharing a card table and phone at our Chester Avenue office, our specialized team began hospice. |
| 17. |
Two of the three original “founding mothers” of hospice at VNA, Roberta Laurie, now Executive Vice President, and Joan Parks RN, are still with us. |
| 16. |
In 2004, we changed our name from VNA Hospice to Hospice & Palliative Care Partners of Ohio (HPCPO). |
Who We Are Today
| 15. |
We employ over 100 hospice professionals. |
| 14. |
We reach out to provide hospice to 7 northeast Ohio counties: Cuyahoga, Lorain, Summit, Medina, Lake, Geauga and Portage. |
| 13. |
We have three programs for End-of-Life Care:
- Special Care (pre-hospice for patients/families who need skilled home care yet are not ready for hospice care)
- Palliative Care (symptom and pain management for seriously ill patients)
- Hospice (comfort care for those near the end of life)
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| 12. |
We have 235 hospice volunteers who give their time and talent to support our program and assist HPCPO patients and families. |
What Makes Us Experts
| 11. |
All our social workers are Masters prepared, Licensed Independent Social Workers (LISW). |
| 10. |
Our Home Care Aides are required to be STNAs. |
| 9. |
The majority of our nurses have earned the distinction of certification in hospice care. |
| 8. |
Together, our staff totals 702 years of service to HPCPO. |
| 7. |
Even our “oldest” hospice volunteer has been with hospice since 1981! |
What Makes Us Special
| 6. |
We know the people and they know us; we are familiar faces in the neighborhoods we serve. |
| 5. |
We go the extra mile and add the special touches, celebrating patients' last wishes. |
| 4. |
We reach out to the world! Staff members have volunteered time to share nursing and social work skills in China, Africa and South America. |
| 3. |
We represent a variety of creative talents and gifts. Staff members sing, dance and act in community theaters. Others are artists and gourmet cooks, write poetry and fiction, and sing in gospel choirs. Still others, in their lives before hospice, taught Chemistry and English, ministered to congregations, practiced law, worked in fashion design, and cared for foster children. |
| 2. |
We love what we do! (And we receive back much more than we give….) |
| 1. |
We’re not bragging – just proud that we are #1 in quality, compassionate hospice care! |
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