Both of my parents were fortunate to have been under hospice care before they passed away, so I can testify first-hand that the folks who provide patients with serious illness and end-of-life-care will someday occupy a special place in heaven. That’s especially true for the team at Mountain Valley Hospice & Palliative Care.
Mountain Valley Hospice, headquartered in Mt. Airy, serves an 18 county area in North Carolina and Virginia with offices and facilities located throughout the region. In addition to providing in-home care, they operate in-patient hospice homes in Dobson and Yadkinville.
Mountain Valley also offers special programs such as We Honor Veterans, and Camp Kids Path to help children deal with the loss of a loved one. They even offer a Pet Peace of Mind program, and, of course, they provide support for families of hospice patients.
This weekend, members of the Mountain Valley team will appear on Triad Today to talk about everything from access to care, to the importance of volunteers. The program was taped earlier, and will air this Saturday and Sunday.
While some hospice agencies in North Carolina are for profit, Mountain Valley is non profit, so we began the show with a discussion about what that means to patients and their families.
“Our goal is to make sure that every patient who is hospice eligible can gain access to care,” said Stephanie Tilley, Senior director of Growth & Access. “Many folks are surprised to learn that only about 50% of patients who meet the eligibility for Medicare actually utilize the Medicare benefits.”
But even those who don’t meet Medicare criteria are never turned away.
“We take care of those who can’t afford to take care of themselves, those who have no insurance, no financial means. Our mission is to serve every patient, every family, every time,” said Tracey Dobson, President and CEO of Mountain Valley Hospice.
In order to provide charitable care for some patients, Mountain Valley Hospice relies on donations, and occasionally hosts fundraising events.
“Proceeds from these events go to support our patient services and community programs. It’s what enables us to not have to turn anyone away due to an inability to pay,” said Sara Tavery, Senior director of Philanthropy and Volunteers.
The Mountain Valley Hospice team includes doctors, nurses, chaplains, and a large support staff. But that team of caring professionals is also complimented by an army of volunteers who help serve the needs of patients and their families.
“Volunteers are truly the heart of hospice. We are so fortunate to have a great group of volunteers. They are vital to helping us carry out our mission, and to provide compassionate care to our patients,” Tavery said.
Like my parents, most patients receive hospice care in their own home./p>
“Nursing care is available 24/7 for patients in their own home. We have CNAs who can help with bathing and dressing patients. Our chaplains offer spiritual support, and then we have social workers who help manage resources for our patients,” said Jenna Campbell, Chief Clinical Operations Officer.
Mountain Valley also operates two, state-of-the-art in-patient hospice homes for when at-home care is no longer practical.
“It’s when we can no longer manage the patient’s symptoms at home, so we need to take it a step up, and have the provider more involved at the bedside,” said Campbell.
But regardless of whether care is provided at home or in a hospice home, the goal is the same, as Chief Medical director Dr. Glenn Golazewski explained.
“It’s important to keep hospice patients comfortable, and that’s what folks want when they’re dealing with end stage illnesses.”
You can watch our Triad Today salute to hospice this Saturday at 7:30am on abc45, and on Sunday at 11am on MY48.
For more information about hospice care, visit MtnValleyHospice.org or to schedule an appointment, call 888-789-2922.
Triad Today to Focus on Hospice
Both of my parents were fortunate to have been under hospice care before they passed away, so I can testify first-hand that the folks who provide patients with serious illness and end-of-life-care will someday occupy a special place in heaven. That’s especially true for the team at Mountain Valley Hospice & Palliative Care.
Mountain Valley Hospice, headquartered in Mt. Airy, serves an 18 county area in North Carolina and Virginia with offices and facilities located throughout the region. In addition to providing in-home care, they operate in-patient hospice homes in Dobson and Yadkinville.
Mountain Valley also offers special programs such as We Honor Veterans, and Camp Kids Path to help children deal with the loss of a loved one. They even offer a Pet Peace of Mind program, and, of course, they provide support for families of hospice patients.
This weekend, members of the Mountain Valley team will appear on Triad Today to talk about everything from access to care, to the importance of volunteers. The program was taped earlier, and will air this Saturday and Sunday.
While some hospice agencies in North Carolina are for profit, Mountain Valley is non profit, so we began the show with a discussion about what that means to patients and their families.
“Our goal is to make sure that every patient who is hospice eligible can gain access to care,” said Stephanie Tilley, Senior director of Growth & Access. “Many folks are surprised to learn that only about 50% of patients who meet the eligibility for Medicare actually utilize the Medicare benefits.”
But even those who don’t meet Medicare criteria are never turned away.
“We take care of those who can’t afford to take care of themselves, those who have no insurance, no financial means. Our mission is to serve every patient, every family, every time,” said Tracey Dobson, President and CEO of Mountain Valley Hospice.
In order to provide charitable care for some patients, Mountain Valley Hospice relies on donations, and occasionally hosts fundraising events.
“Proceeds from these events go to support our patient services and community programs. It’s what enables us to not have to turn anyone away due to an inability to pay,” said Sara Tavery, Senior director of Philanthropy and Volunteers.
The Mountain Valley Hospice team includes doctors, nurses, chaplains, and a large support staff. But that team of caring professionals is also complimented by an army of volunteers who help serve the needs of patients and their families.
“Volunteers are truly the heart of hospice. We are so fortunate to have a great group of volunteers. They are vital to helping us carry out our mission, and to provide compassionate care to our patients,” Tavery said.
Like my parents, most patients receive hospice care in their own home./p>
“Nursing care is available 24/7 for patients in their own home. We have CNAs who can help with bathing and dressing patients. Our chaplains offer spiritual support, and then we have social workers who help manage resources for our patients,” said Jenna Campbell, Chief Clinical Operations Officer.
Mountain Valley also operates two, state-of-the-art in-patient hospice homes for when at-home care is no longer practical.
“It’s when we can no longer manage the patient’s symptoms at home, so we need to take it a step up, and have the provider more involved at the bedside,” said Campbell.
But regardless of whether care is provided at home or in a hospice home, the goal is the same, as Chief Medical director Dr. Glenn Golazewski explained.
“It’s important to keep hospice patients comfortable, and that’s what folks want when they’re dealing with end stage illnesses.”
You can watch our Triad Today salute to hospice this Saturday at 7:30am on abc45, and on Sunday at 11am on MY48.
For more information about hospice care, visit MtnValleyHospice.org or to schedule an appointment, call 888-789-2922.