Hospice of Southern Maine Celebrates

(FALMOUTH, Maine) — Hospice of Southern Maine held its Annual Meeting of the Members of the Corporation on December 9, 2011 at the Portland Country Club in Falmouth. The event was well attended, with special guests including Bethany Beausang, Esq., Constituent Services Representative & Federal Grants Manager from Congresswoman Chellie Pingree’s office and Chelsea McCaslin, Maine Staff Assistant to U.S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe. Newly elected Members of the Corporation were State Senator Barry Hobbins, Dr. David Giansiracusa, Co-Director of Palliative Care at Maine Medical Center, and Andrea Otis-Higgins, Administrator of St. André Health Care.

The Year in Review

2011 was a year of growth for Hospice of Southern Maine. Referrals and admissions have climbed each year since 2007. Patients served and those who have died under our care have grown from 414 in 2007 to over 1,000 this year. Wide-reaching programs and services are available through HSM. Our Gosnell House and home programs include medical equipment and an Inter-Disciplinary Team, as well as bereavement, living well, professional education and faith outreach conferences. We are a leader in providing palliative care services and specialty disease management.

The Lennox Foundation provided grant funding for new marketing materials. Working with Burgess Advertising, we are creating a new logo, website, advertising campaigns, television and radio public service announcements, and revamping all marketing aspects.

Our volunteer program is on the increase as well. We have 37 newly-certified volunteers this year and over 7,000 hours of time have been given.

Bereavement support groups offered now include services for adults losing parents and parents losing adult children. Our annual memorial service attendance was 250.

Our new mission statement, “Compassion, Care, and Comfort Through End of Life,” addresses the fear of pain and suffering, and also includes the continuation of care throughout the bereavement process.

Arlene Wing, CEO, expressed deep gratitude to our dedicated, passionate employees; Board and committee members; volunteers; Foundations who provide grant monies; and to our generous donors.

Recognition & Awards

Mr. Al Swallow, Patient Financial Services Director at Maine Medical Center, was recognized for his eight years of outstanding service and dedication to the mission of Hospice of Southern Maine. Mr. Swallow has been a key working member in the growing HSM from a fledgling organization to a full hospice service. His words of guidance and wise counsel have proved invaluable to Hospice of Southern Maine’s finance department over the years.

This year’s Pope Leadership Award was presented to Kandyce Powell, RN, MSN, Executive Director of the Maine Hospice Council and Center for End-of-Life Care. Chairman of the Board, David Perkins, Esq. read aloud a letter from Congressman Michaud, praising Hospice of Southern Maine, commending the outstanding service of Ms. Powell and extending his congratulations. Arlene Wing, CEO, spoke of Kandyce Powell’s dedication, passion, empathy and sincere devotion to her work. Ms. Powell began hospice work in the 1970’s and has continued through the years. She is now the leader of the Maine Hospice Council. Ms Powell’s statement referred to the mission of hospice, “…to help others overcome fear of death and dying. …peace is the ability to have serenity in your soul regardless of what is going on and still be available to other people.” She stated that she is “Absolutely impressed with the people of HSM’s organization.” She also congratulated HSM on the growth of the organization. Ms. Powell encouraged the community to take this mission forward in the advocacy of end of life care.

A Beautiful Testimony

Celeste Shinay, a Hospice of Southern Maine volunteer and family member of a patient of hospice, ended the meeting with a heartwarming tribute. She spoke of the importance of maintaining dignity of life in all decades of life and about how vital it is to make the last days and weeks very meaningful. She related the story of her mother’s stay at Gosnell Memorial Hospice House. It was a great comfort for Ms. Shinay to be able to relinquish the role of primary caregiver to that of simply being a daughter. She talked of the compassion of the hospice staff and volunteers in their role as caregivers. The power of touch was exemplified when, as Celeste’s mother experience belabored breathing, her volunteer began to soothingly massage her entire body. Celeste could see her mother visibly relax, her breathing significantly eased. Just a few minutes later, her mother passed away peacefully. The gentle touch of a caring person helped Celeste’s mother in her greatest time of need.

About Hospice of Southern Maine:
Hospice of Southern Maine provides quality end of life care for people throughout Southern Maine, both with the home-based program, as well as at the Gosnell Memorial Hospice House. The Gosnell House is the first and only in-patient hospice facility in Southern Maine. Designed and staffed to emphasize privacy, dignity, and inclusion of family members for the provision of end of life care, the 16,000-square- foot, 18-bed end-of-life facility has become a welcoming, home-like environment for hundreds of patients and families when their home is no longer an option.

Hospice of Southern Maine is a non-profit, State-licensed and Medicare-certified hospice program providing comprehensive end of life care to patients and their families in Cumberland and York counties.

Services include nursing, chaplain, social work, hospice aide, volunteer, and physician for the provision of expert pain and symptom management, companionship, and spiritual and bereavement counseling. To learn more about Hospice of Southern Maine’s services, call 207-289-3640 or visit www.hospiceofsouthernmaine.org.