It only makes sense that Dr. Ruby Roy was eventually called to palliative medicine, a medical specialty that treats the body, mind and spirit of patients living with serious illness. In her personal life, the pediatrician had always looked beyond medical journals and books for ideas to improve health, including devoting more than 500 hours of study to become a certified yoga instructor. In her career, Dr. Roy (who goes by Dr. Ruby to her patients and team) most recently spent seven years caring for children at LaRabida Children’s Hospital in Chicago and the University of Chicago Hospital. Her practice specialized in patients living with chronic illness and developmental disabilities, including degenerative neurological diseases and cerebral palsy. “It was in working with them that I realized the need for palliative care,” she said. “I learned that palliative care was about allowing a child to have the best possible life they can, for as long as they are alive.” To Dr. Roy that meant more than just medical treatment. That meant helping their families understand and come to terms with their child’s diagnosis, or using her yoga training to help a teenage patient learn to combat anxiety attacks without medication. Dr. Roy immersed herself in palliative care clinical trainings through both the Coleman Foundation and Harvard University, then helped to found LaRabida’s palliative care program. The program became so successful, she said, that she discovered her desire to practice pediatric palliative care full-time. That passion brought Dr. Roy to JourneyCare early this year, where she now serves as Associate Medical Director. She brings nearly 25 years of medical expertise and a holistic approach to treating patients and caring for their families – which includes her latest endeavor to become certified in pediatric hypnosis for pain management. “Medicine is a service,” says Dr. Roy. “It’s a really cool profession because it allows you to combine science and technology with human relationships and they have to be equally important. Palliative care especially demands that you take time with families. It forces you to slow down and put the patient first, in whatever way they need.” Dr. Roy notes that JourneyCare offers a talented, well-rounded pediatrics team that includes nurse case managers, a nurse practitioner, certified nursing assistants, Child Life Specialists, social workers, chaplains and volunteers. As the full-time physician leading that team, Dr. Roy said she looks forward to working with each team member and, ultimately, helping the program grow to serve even more patients and families. “I look forward to working with this impressive team and hitting the ground running,” Dr. Roy said. “With our expanded service area across 10 counties it is a vital time to educate more families on the importance of palliative and hospice services for our pediatric patients.” TAKING THE LEAD Dr. Ruby Roy to head pediatric program Dr. Ruby Roy believes in an integrative approach to care. Photo courtesy of the American Medical Association The Morales Family today, from left to right: Vanessa, Brian, Edward, Delia and Kendrah in foreground INTO THE WOODS JourneyCare camp helps siblings cope with loss of brother Vanessa, Edward and Brian Morales always counted on their oldest brother, Alejandro, to pave the way in life for them and for their baby sister, Kendrah. He would be the one to teach them what to expect in high school, to have his first date, or be the first to bend the rules. That changed, however, when Alejandro became ill and was diagnosed with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, a life-threatening condition commonly called HLH. In an effort to treat this disorder, doctors at an area hospital performed a bone marrow transplant on 15-year-old Alejandro. EDUCATION Dr. Roy graduated with honors from Harvard University, earning a degree in biology. She then earned her medical degree from Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine, and completed her Pediatric Residency at Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati. HOBBIES “I continue to study and practice yoga and to lift weights. But I also love to cook and my specialty is whatever is on Food Network or Epicurious that looks good this week – though I of course cook a lot of Indian and Italian food since my husband is half Italian. I work out in the gym to deal with the effects of my love of food.” INTERNATIONAL UPBRINGING “I came to the United States when I was 17, but I grew up in England and Canada and was born in India.” FAMILY “I have two children, a 19-year-old son in college and a son who is 23 and attending graduate school. My husband is a pharmacist, but also a gifted musician and guitarist who produces his own CD every year.” BEYOND THE EXAM ROOM “I also love poetry and have taught a Medicine & Literature class at Loyola and The Healer’s Art at both Loyola and The University of Chicago. Healer’s Art is a class pioneered by Dr. Rachel Remen, author of ‘Kitchen Table Wisdom.’ I take integrative therapy as a personal philosophy, both in and outside of work.” GET TO KNOW Dr. Ruby Roy SPRING 2016 CONTINUED TO PAGE 2 > SOUP & STORIES > PROFILES IN CARE > VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION > NATIONAL HEALTHCARE DECISIONS DAY INSIDE:
Transcript
Journey Care #122683Newsletter PG 1 4.13.2016CYAN MAG YELL BLK
It only makes sense that Dr. Ruby Roy was eventually called to palliative medicine, a medical specialty that treats the body, mind and spirit of patients living with serious illness.
In her personal life, the pediatrician had always looked beyond medical journals and books for ideas to improve health, including devoting more than 500 hours of study to become a certified yoga instructor.
In her career, Dr. Roy (who goes by Dr. Ruby to her patients and team) most recently spent seven years caring for children at LaRabida Children’s Hospital in Chicago and the University of Chicago Hospital. Her practice specialized in patients living with chronic illness and developmental disabilities, including degenerative neurological diseases and cerebral palsy.
“It was in working with them that I realized the need for palliative care,” she said. “I learned that palliative care was about allowing a child to have the best possible life they can, for as long as they are alive.”
To Dr. Roy that meant more than just medical treatment. That meant helping their families understand and come to terms with their child’s diagnosis, or using her yoga training to help a teenage patient learn to combat anxiety attacks without medication.
Dr. Roy immersed herself in palliative care clinical trainings through both the Coleman Foundation and Harvard University, then helped to found LaRabida’s palliative care program. The program became so successful, she said, that she discovered her desire to practice pediatric palliative care full-time.
That passion brought Dr. Roy to JourneyCare early this year, where she now serves as Associate Medical Director. She brings nearly 25 years of medical expertise and a holistic approach to treating patients and caring for their families – which includes her latest endeavor to become certified in pediatric hypnosis for pain management.
“Medicine is a service,” says Dr. Roy. “It’s a really cool profession because it allows you to combine science and technology with human relationships and they have to be equally important. Palliative care especially demands that you take time with families. It forces you to slow down and put the patient first, in whatever way they need.”
Dr. Roy notes that JourneyCare offers a talented, well-rounded pediatrics team that includes nurse case managers, a nurse practitioner, certified nursing assistants, Child Life Specialists, social workers, chaplains and volunteers. As the full-time physician leading that team, Dr. Roy said she looks forward to working with each team member and, ultimately, helping the program grow to serve even more patients and families.
“I look forward to working with this impressive team and hitting the ground running,” Dr. Roy said. “With our expanded service area across 10 counties it is a vital time to educate more families on the importance of palliative and hospice services for our pediatric patients.”
TAKING THE LEADDr. Ruby Roy to head pediatric program
Dr. Ruby Roy believes in an integrative approach to care. Photo courtesy of the American Medical Association
The Morales Family today, from left to right: Vanessa, Brian, Edward, Delia and Kendrah in foreground
INTO THE WOODS JourneyCare camp helps siblings cope with loss of brother
Vanessa, Edward and Brian Morales always counted on their oldest brother, Alejandro, to pave the way in life for them and for their baby sister, Kendrah.
He would be the one to teach them what to expect in high school, to have his first date, or be the first to bend the rules.
That changed, however, when Alejandro became ill and was diagnosed with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, a life-threatening condition commonly called HLH. In an effort to treat this disorder, doctors at an area hospital performed a bone marrow transplant on 15-year-old Alejandro.
EDUCATION Dr. Roy graduated with honors from Harvard University, earning a degree in biology. She then earned her medical degree from Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine, and completed her Pediatric Residency at Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati.
HOBBIES “I continue to study and practice yoga and to lift weights. But I also love to cook and my specialty is whatever is on Food Network or Epicurious that looks good this week – though I of course cook a lot of Indian and Italian food since my husband is half Italian. I work out in the gym to deal with the effects of my love of food.”
INTERNATIONAL UPBRINGING “I came to the United States when I was 17, but I grew up in England and Canada and was born in India.”
FAMILY “I have two children, a 19-year-old son in college and a son who is 23 and attending graduate school. My husband is a pharmacist, but also a gifted musician and guitarist who produces his own CD every year.”
BEYOND THE EXAM ROOM “I also love poetry and have taught a Medicine & Literature class at Loyola and The Healer’s Art at both Loyola and The University of Chicago. Healer’s Art is a class pioneered by Dr. Rachel Remen, author of ‘Kitchen Table Wisdom.’ I take integrative therapy as a personal philosophy, both in and outside of work.”
GET TO KNOW Dr. Ruby Roy
SPRING
2016
CONTINUED TO PAGE 2
> SOUP & STORIES >
PROFILES IN CARE >
VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION >
NATIONAL HEALTHCARE DECISIONS DAYINSIDE:
Journey Care #122683Newsletter PG 2 4.13.2016CYAN MAG YELL BLK
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Dear friends,
I am proud to introduce the inaugural issue of Together to Care, JourneyCare’s newsletter for our friends and supporters in the communities we serve.
JourneyCare was formed in 2015 through the merger of three community-based nonprofit healthcare providers in the Chicago region – Horizon Hospice & Palliative Care, JourneyCare and Midwest Palliative & Hospice CareCenter.
As an integrated agency, we now offer more access to even better palliative, supportive and end-of-life care for those facing serious illness.
Our enhanced services would not be possible without the support of our generous donors, dedicated volunteers, outstanding employees, and our community. Thanks to you, we are able to serve patients and families across 10 counties that include the Chicago area and northern Illinois, maintaining our mission to help people with serious illness live fully, with dignity, and without pain, on their own terms.
Together to Care brings you the stories of how this happens every day for nearly 3,000 adult and pediatric patients we serve – and how our tremendous donors, volunteers and staff help make this possible. Each issue will keep you informed on the people and programs that are the foundation of JourneyCare, while sharing inspiring stories of care, activities under way in our communities, and ways you can help support our core mission.
In addition, Together to Care will feature an online edition that complements each print issue. To ensure you stay connected to this rich informational resource, please e-mail us at [email protected] to be added to our mailing lists. Thank you for being a part of our JourneyCare community and helping to provide comfort, peace, and well-being to each and every one of our patients and their families.
Warm regards,
SARAH BEALLES President and CEO
But his body did not accept the transplant, and Alejandro died in the hospital.
“His death caught us by surprise, because we never thought we would lose him,” said Delia Morales, the children’s mother.
Vanessa, who was just two years younger and extremely close with Alejandro, felt like the floor had fallen from underneath her.
As the family sorted through the devastation of losing Alejandro, a social worker at the hospital recommended JourneyCare’s bereavement camps for children and teens.
These free summer camps, called Camp Courage, help children and teens who are grieving the loss of a loved one. Participants explore and express their feelings in a safe, supportive and fun environment, led by professional counselors and volunteers from JourneyCare.
“She told me they would have a chance to talk with other children about their loss and learn that death is a normal part of the life process,” Delia said.
Vanessa, Edward and Brian were all apprehensive the first time they attended their respective camps. In addition to the loss of her brother, Vanessa also lived with bullying at school and feared other campers would judge her.
“Then I thought ‘What’s stopping you from going? If it’s simply not knowing what camp will be like, that’s a bad reason,’” Vanessa said.
Soon, the three eldest Morales siblings found themselves immersed in activities like hiking, high ropes courses, journaling and team building. And they all felt relieved to connect with other young people who understood the loss that their classmates at school could not.
Today, Edward and Vanessa are 19 and 17, and they have completed five years of camp.
Brian is now 12 and still participates annually, while 7-year-old Kendrah may join once she is older.
The three eldest siblings say any young person who has lost a loved one should step out of their comfort zone and join a JourneyCare camp. Edward says it’s especially an important space for taking a break from smart phones and computers, and focusing on what really matters.
“Camp offers a way to express yourself and meeting people who have gone through the same loss as you,” Edward says. “I always think ‘What would have happened if I didn’t go there, disconnect and discover all these new things?’”
BE A PART OF CAMP COURAGEJourneyCare offers bereavement camps and activities for children and teens who are grieving the loss of a loved one. Participants explore and express their feelings in a safe, supportive and fun environment, led by professional counselors and volunteers from JourneyCare.
There is no cost to attend any of our camps, thanks to the generous support of our sponsors, community partners and families. All eligible campers are welcome, but please note that space is limited and bus service is not provided. Priority will be given to first-time campers. This year’s camps for ages 6 to 13 will be at the following locations:
YMCA CAMP DUNCAN INGLESIDE
July 11-15 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday
9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday
JESSE WHITE COMMUNITY CENTER CHICAGO
August 15-199 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday
9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday
Apply online at journeycare.org/campcourage and a counselor will contact you. For more information on Camp Courage, as well as 2016 bereavement programs for high school-age youths, call 224-770-CARE.
Vanessa said bereavement camp helped her deal with the loss of her older brother, as well as bullying at school.
Edward says camp is an important place to disconnect from technology and focus on connecting with others who understand loss.
Brian and his siblings were all apprehensive when they started camp, but they quickly gained new friends.
Delia Morales shares a moment with her son, Alejandro, before he died at age 15
INTO THE WOODS
For more inspirational stories and helpful information about hospice and palliative care from patients, families, team members and volunteers, visit our blog sharingourjourney.org.Together to Care SPRING 20162
Warm regards,
Journey Care #122683Newsletter PG 3 4.13.2016CYAN MAG YELL BLK
JourneyCare has always understood the critical role animals and pets can play in our patients’ well-being.
Our Hospice CareCenters in Arlington Heights, Barrington, Chicago, Glenview and Woodstock all welcome pets to participate in patient visits.
Our long-running pet therapy program also pairs animals with patients for comfort, stress and symptom relief, and socialization. These therapy animals are a popular part of our robust volunteer program at JourneyCare.
And the organization has also helped many families find loving homes for their pets when facing critical illness or the end of life.
Now, JourneyCare is formalizing its pet placement service as we team with the Banfield Charitable Trust to launch Pet Peace of Mind. This program offers an array of services to keep patients and their pets connected during the end-of-life journey.
Pet Peace of Mind helps prevent beloved pets from being overlooked or forgotten as families deal with grief and loss during hospice care. The program seeks to understand each patient’s bond with their pet, so they can be assured their trusted companion is also receiving wonderful care.
“The Pet Peace of Mind program takes what we do one step further by embracing treasured pets as a part of the family unit,” Manager of Volunteer
Services Amy O’Donnell said. “By offering this extra support—dog walking, transporting an animal to the groomer, providing some pet food or financial support for a treatment—we can bring a new level of comfort to our patients. Knowing their pet is receiving great care, too, can make such a tremendous difference.”
Nearly 60 JourneyCare volunteers are attending training seminars to learn skills for helping patients with their pet care needs. Training is open to current volunteers who have already completed JourneyCare’s core volunteer orientation. Future training sessions will be announced directly to current volunteers. For more details on the program or training requirements, contact Amy O’Donnell at [email protected] or (224) 770-2412.
For many school-aged children, a four-day weekend might mean sleeping late or hanging out with friends. But more than 70 local kids and teens chose to spend their Martin Luther King Jr. holiday comforting families during JourneyCare’s third annual Soup & Stories volunteer service project.
Delivery crews included JourneyCare Juniors, made up of students in fourth through eighth grade, high schoolers on the Youth Advisory Board, as well as parents, siblings and several adult volunteers. All of them braved bitterly cold weather to deliver containers of homemade soup, fleece blankets and decks of playing cards to 175 patients and families throughout 60 communities in JourneyCare’s 10 county service area.
“What makes Soup & Stories unique, beyond providing an extra touch to help enrich the lives of those cared for by JourneyCare, is that it offers an opportunity for our youth volunteers to contribute to a project that truly impacts our mission while meeting the people who benefit from it,” shared Amy O’Donnell, JourneyCare Manager of Volunteer Services.
Each care package contained a large container of minestrone soup from ZaZa’s Tavola Italiana in Lake Barrington, a fleece blanket and a JourneyCare deck of “story playing cards” with instructions on how to use the cards to help families share stories.
The EMS Roaddocs Riding Club Wisconsin-Northern Illinois Chapter, a group of current and retired
emergency services personnel, collected several hundred blankets, while some of the Juniors made about 50 more fleece blankets. Junior volunteers also helped with mailings, mapped routes for the deliveries and made phone calls to remind patients and families about the care packages.
Soup & Stories volunteers were even able to help a patient named Elizabeth celebrate a landmark birthday for the second year in a row. This year, she turned 107!
“Visiting Elizabeth was a different kind of excitement,” said Ashley Fanco, a high school sophomore. “Right in front of me was a woman who has lived for over a century! The places she’s been and the adventures she’s experienced must be stunning. Seeing her excitement in telling us about her life was truly my favorite part of Soup & Stories.”
Some volunteers were able to establish instant connections to patients through shared interests.
“I had such an enjoyable visit with Mary and her daughter,” said volunteer Noel Mercure of Grayslake. “They have two pugs and I’m such a pug person, so that was a great ice breaker. Plus, Mary’s favorite color is blue and, coincidently, that was the color of the blanket I delivered.”
The care package deliveries were very much appreciated by the patients and family members.
“One man was moved to tears—he was so happy to receive his package and was waiting for me outside when I arrived,” shared Pauleen McCollum of Crystal Lake. “I made four deliveries and each one thanked me for coming out on such a cold day and expressed how nice the blanket was. Seeing the smiles and talking to the families took a lot of the chill off the day for me.”
“My take away from Soup & Stories is that people need people,” added Ashley. “We should never fail to realize that we as humans like to interact with each other. Just being able to sit down and tell somebody about your life can be good memories for months to come. I can’t wait to volunteer again with Soup & Stories next year.”
PET PROGRAMS GROWING AT JOURNEYCARE
VOLUNTEERS CELEBRATE DAY OF SERVICE WITH SOUP & STORIES JourneyCare’s Kids Who Care, a youth
volunteer program based out of the Olympia Fields office, participated in Flossmoor’s Marting Luther King Jr. Day of Service by making Valentine’s Day cards for area seniors as part of the community-based From Our Hearts to Yours card-making campaign.
Together to Care SPRING 2016 3
Patient pets – cats Dhaka and Flower and dogs Buff and Pip – are just some of the pets JourneyCare has worked to place in loving homes.
Volunteer Ashley Fanco delivers soup to 107-year-old patient Elizabeth on her birthday, as Elizabeth’s son helps.
Members of the JourneyCare Juniors helped create 50 no-sew blankets.
Journey Care #122683Newsletter PG 4 4.13.2016CYAN MAG YELL BLK
Winnebago
McHenry
KaneDeKalb
Kendall
Will
Cook
355
55
57
94
294
80
90
94
88
294
290Lombard
Barrington
WoodstockBoone Lake
ArlingtonHeights
Glenview
OlympiaFields
Chicago
Hospice CareCenter
Hospice CareCenter &
KEY
Rockford
DuPage
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS Hospice CareCenter at Northwest Community Hospital 800 West Central, Arlington Heights, IL 60005
BARRINGTON (224-770-2489) Pepper Family Hospice CareCenter 405 Lake Zurich Road, Barrington, IL 60010
CHICAGO Ada F. Addington Hospice CareCenter Rush University Medical Center Johnston R. Bowman Health Center, 5 South 710 South Paulina Street, Chicago, IL 60612
(312-733-8900) 833 West Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60642
GLENVIEW (847-467-7423) Marshak Family Hospice CareCenter 2050 Claire Court, Glenview, IL 60025
LOMBARD 1 East 22nd Street, Lombard, IL 60148
OLYMPIA FIELDS 3408 Vollmer Road, Olympia Fields, IL 60461
ROCKFORD 483 N. Mulford Road, Suite # 1, Rockford, IL 61107
WOODSTOCK 527 W. South Street, Woodstock, IL 60098
REFERRALS: 224-770-2489
www.journeycare.org
Honoring the legacies of...
For general information, call 847-467-7423.
Winnebago
McHenry
KaneDeKalb
Kendall
Will
Cook
355
55
57
94
294
80
90
94
88
294
290Lombard
Barrington
WoodstockBoone Lake
ArlingtonHeights
Glenview
OlympiaFields
Chicago
Hospice CareCenter
Hospice CareCenter &
KEY
Rockford
DuPage
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS Hospice CareCenter at Northwest Community Hospital 800 West Central, Arlington Heights, IL 60005
BARRINGTON (224-770-2489) Pepper Family Hospice CareCenter 405 Lake Zurich Road, Barrington, IL 60010
CHICAGO Ada F. Addington Hospice CareCenter Rush University Medical Center Johnston R. Bowman Health Center, 5 South 710 South Paulina Street, Chicago, IL 60612
(312-733-8900) 833 West Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60642
GLENVIEW (847-467-7423) Marshak Family Hospice CareCenter 2050 Claire Court, Glenview, IL 60025
LOMBARD 1 East 22nd Street, Lombard, IL 60148
OLYMPIA FIELDS 3408 Vollmer Road, Olympia Fields, IL 60461
ROCKFORD 483 N. Mulford Road, Suite # 1, Rockford, IL 61107
WOODSTOCK 527 W. South Street, Woodstock, IL 60098
REFERRALS: 224-770-2489
www.journeycare.org
Honoring the legacies of...
For general information, call 847-467-7423.
Winnebago
McHenry
KaneDeKalb
Kendall
Will
Cook
355
55
57
94
294
80
90
94
88
294
290Lombard
Barrington
WoodstockBoone Lake
ArlingtonHeights
Glenview
OlympiaFields
Chicago
Hospice CareCenter
Hospice CareCenter &
KEY
Rockford
DuPage
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS Hospice CareCenter at Northwest Community Hospital 800 West Central, Arlington Heights, IL 60005
BARRINGTON (224-770-2489) Pepper Family Hospice CareCenter 405 Lake Zurich Road, Barrington, IL 60010
CHICAGO Ada F. Addington Hospice CareCenter Rush University Medical Center Johnston R. Bowman Health Center, 5 South 710 South Paulina Street, Chicago, IL 60612
(312-733-8900) 833 West Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60642
GLENVIEW (847-467-7423) Marshak Family Hospice CareCenter 2050 Claire Court, Glenview, IL 60025
LOMBARD 1 East 22nd Street, Lombard, IL 60148
OLYMPIA FIELDS 3408 Vollmer Road, Olympia Fields, IL 60461
ROCKFORD 483 N. Mulford Road, Suite # 1, Rockford, IL 61107
WOODSTOCK 527 W. South Street, Woodstock, IL 60098
REFERRALS: 224-770-2489
www.journeycare.org
Honoring the legacies of...
For general information, call 847-467-7423.
Winnebago
McHenry
KaneDeKalb
Kendall
Will
Cook
355
55
57
94
294
80
90
94
88
294
290Lombard
Barrington
WoodstockBoone Lake
ArlingtonHeights
Glenview
OlympiaFields
Chicago
Hospice CareCenter
Hospice CareCenter &
KEY
Rockford
DuPage
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS Hospice CareCenter at Northwest Community Hospital 800 West Central, Arlington Heights, IL 60005
BARRINGTON (224-770-2489) Pepper Family Hospice CareCenter 405 Lake Zurich Road, Barrington, IL 60010
CHICAGO Ada F. Addington Hospice CareCenter Rush University Medical Center Johnston R. Bowman Health Center, 5 South 710 South Paulina Street, Chicago, IL 60612
(312-733-8900) 833 West Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60642
GLENVIEW (847-467-7423) Marshak Family Hospice CareCenter 2050 Claire Court, Glenview, IL 60025
LOMBARD 1 East 22nd Street, Lombard, IL 60148
OLYMPIA FIELDS 3408 Vollmer Road, Olympia Fields, IL 60461
ROCKFORD 483 N. Mulford Road, Suite # 1, Rockford, IL 61107
WOODSTOCK 527 W. South Street, Woodstock, IL 60098
REFERRALS: 224-770-2489
www.journeycare.org
Honoring the legacies of...
For general information, call 847-467-7423.
Winnebago
McHenry
KaneDeKalb
Kendall
Will
Cook
355
55
57
94
294
80
90
94
88
294
290Lombard
Barrington
WoodstockBoone Lake
ArlingtonHeights
Glenview
OlympiaFields
Chicago
Hospice CareCenter
Hospice CareCenter &
KEY
Rockford
DuPage
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS Hospice CareCenter at Northwest Community Hospital 800 West Central, Arlington Heights, IL 60005
BARRINGTON (224-770-2489) Pepper Family Hospice CareCenter 405 Lake Zurich Road, Barrington, IL 60010
CHICAGO Ada F. Addington Hospice CareCenter Rush University Medical Center Johnston R. Bowman Health Center, 5 South 710 South Paulina Street, Chicago, IL 60612
(312-733-8900) 833 West Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60642
GLENVIEW (847-467-7423) Marshak Family Hospice CareCenter 2050 Claire Court, Glenview, IL 60025
LOMBARD 1 East 22nd Street, Lombard, IL 60148
OLYMPIA FIELDS 3408 Vollmer Road, Olympia Fields, IL 60461
ROCKFORD 483 N. Mulford Road, Suite # 1, Rockford, IL 61107
WOODSTOCK 527 W. South Street, Woodstock, IL 60098
REFERRALS: 224-770-2489
www.journeycare.org
Honoring the legacies of...
For general information, call 847-467-7423.
Winnebago
McHenry
KaneDeKalb
Kendall
Will
Cook
355
55
57
94
294
80
90
94
88
294
290Lombard
Barrington
WoodstockBoone Lake
ArlingtonHeights
Glenview
OlympiaFields
Chicago
Hospice CareCenter
Hospice CareCenter &
KEY
Rockford
DuPage
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS Hospice CareCenter at Northwest Community Hospital 800 West Central, Arlington Heights, IL 60005
BARRINGTON (224-770-2489) Pepper Family Hospice CareCenter 405 Lake Zurich Road, Barrington, IL 60010
CHICAGO Ada F. Addington Hospice CareCenter Rush University Medical Center Johnston R. Bowman Health Center, 5 South 710 South Paulina Street, Chicago, IL 60612
(312-733-8900) 833 West Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60642
GLENVIEW (847-467-7423) Marshak Family Hospice CareCenter 2050 Claire Court, Glenview, IL 60025
LOMBARD 1 East 22nd Street, Lombard, IL 60148
OLYMPIA FIELDS 3408 Vollmer Road, Olympia Fields, IL 60461
ROCKFORD 483 N. Mulford Road, Suite # 1, Rockford, IL 61107
WOODSTOCK 527 W. South Street, Woodstock, IL 60098
REFERRALS: 224-770-2489
www.journeycare.org
Honoring the legacies of...
For general information, call 847-467-7423.
This month, JourneyCare is proud to announce the launch of JourneyCare Choices, a pilot that offers patients facing serious illness the option of receiving select hospice services while simultaneously pursuing curative treatments.
We are one of just three hospice providers in Illinois chosen by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for this pioneering program, which is based on the Medicare Care Choices Model, and one of 141 nationally.
CMS will evaluate whether hospice services can improve the quality of life and care received by Medicare patients, increase patient satisfaction, and reduce costs. The program is aimed at patients who are living with advanced cancers, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and congestive heart failure.
Currently, Medicare and Medicaid patients with these conditions are required to forgo curative care in order to receive hospice services. Fewer than half of them actually use hospice care – and most only for a short period of time.
The JourneyCare Choices will empower clinicians, patients and their families with greater flexibility in deciding between hospice care and curative treatment when faced with life-limiting illness. And it will test whether patients who qualify for Medicare or Medicaid hospice coverage would elect to receive the palliative care services typically provided by JourneyCare if they could continue to seek curative care.
“It’s an honor to be chosen by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to be part of the JourneyCare Choices model pilot,” Pam Gertig, JourneyCare Director of Innovative Programs, said. “This will certainly shape the model of hospice and how we deliver care in the future.”
JOURNEYCARE CHOSEN TO PARTICIPATE IN MEDICARE CARE CHOICES MODEL
Together to Care SPRING 20164
JourneyCare serves patients and families across 10 counties that include the Chicago region and northern Illinois.
Journey Care #122683Newsletter PG 5 4.13.2016CYAN MAG YELL BLK
It was a good job, and a good life.
Joel Bregman had built a successful sales career with a machine manufacturing company, even working his way up to vice president of sales.
Still, Bregman said, he always felt a hole inside.
That empty feeling faded when his oldest child, a son named Mikael, was born. His birth brought challenges, however, since he arrived 12 weeks early and needed to live in a neonatal intensive care unit.
Then at 8 months old, the baby suffered multiple cardiac arrests that lead to severe brain damage. By his 11th month, doctors told the Bregmans their son was likely to live only for another year and suggested he stay at a facility for children with developmental disabilities.
But Bregman and his wife took Mikael home and the boy became the light of their family’s world. Outside of work, Bregman’s life centered around the care of his oldest son.
“While he suffered mental and developmental challenges, emotionally he was such a joyful child,” Bregman said. “Such a happy little boy.”
But at age 7, Mikael required surgery for a displaced hip – an injury common for children who cannot control their own movement. He did not survive the procedure.
“My wife was pregnant with our fourth child by then, but I fell into a very deep depression,” Bregman said. “I felt like I was living a life with no meaning and became what I’d call an angry atheist.”
He returned to his sales work, and soon Bregman found himself in unexpected situations.
On two separate occasions, customers arrived at his office for business and began to cry during conversations. Both had lost a child, and Bregman found himself instinctively counseling them.
“It was at that point that I thought ‘Something is going on here. Someone is trying to tell me something,’” Bregman recalled.
Weeks later, Bregman’s car became stuck in a snowstorm and he listened to NPR while he awaited roadside assistance. The evening’s program was on pediatric hospice and, suddenly, Bregman felt like something had hit him in the chest.
“This is what I’m meant to do,” he thought.
So at age 50, Bregman said goodbye to his successful sales career and enrolled at Loyola University Chicago to earn a master’s degree in pastoral counseling.
After graduation he joined JourneyCare, working as both a chaplain for the Barrington-based pediatric team and serving adults admitted to inpatient Hospice CareCenters. He also led a grief support group for parents who had lost a child.
Three years ago, Bregman began to serve JourneyCare’s current Chicago team, working with adults and children in the Ada F. Addington Hospice CareCenter in Chicago and serving pediatric patients in their homes.
Today, the hole Bregman once felt is gone.
“I feel fulfilled,” he said. “To quote the motto of the Peace Corps, this is the hardest job you’ll ever love. All of the connections we make with patients are sacred, and they are all about love, compassion and kindness.”
In his role as a chaplain, Bregman strives to meet patients and their families wherever they may be – no matter what their religious background.
Sometimes this means leading prayer, officiating a memorial service or being an ambassador for people who want to connect with a Catholic priest or a Muslim imam. Other times it may be as simple as playing a game of Uno or fetching a glass of water.
Bregman also works with many patients who are searching for answers about the meaning of life, or who wrestle with regrets. Ultimately, he says, the goal is
to help them feel compassion and unconditional love.
Bregman says it takes a team effort to make that possible: work from doctors, nurses, nursing assistants, social workers and even behind-the-scenes team like the finance and philanthropy
departments, who make sure all patients can receive care regardless of income.
“It is an honor for me to do this work, especially since we treat everyone with the same compassion and care,” Bregman said. “Someone with no money receives the same care as someone who has a million dollars. This is the most rewarding thing I have ever done.”
CALLED TO CHAPLAINCYPersonal loss spurs Joel Bregman to serve others
Chaplain Joel Bregman serves both adult and pediatric patients at their homes in Chicago and the nearby area, as well as at the Ada F. Addington Hospice CareCenter at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.
Bregman wears many hats, whether working directly with patients, helping with Camp Courage bereavement camps – or literally wearing a hat as Santa during the holidays.
… that chaplains like Joel Bregman are part of every clinical team that cares for JourneyCare patients?
Our hospice care is provided by a dedicated and specially trained interdisciplinary team of professionals, who work closely with our patients and their families to develop a plan of care tailored to support their unique needs, goals and wishes.
Each team includes:
• Board-Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Physicians who work with patients and their primary care physicians to develop a plan of care;
• Registered Nurses who meet with patients and families on a regular basis to assess support needs, and coordinate communication with members of the care team;
• Certified Nursing Assistants who provide hands-on, personal care and help with activities of daily living;
• Social Workers who provide our patients with a range of support services, including counseling and emotional support, education and help accessing community resources;
• Chaplains to help patients and their families cope with illness through spiritual support, emotional support and life review;
• Volunteers who are specially trained to provide assistance and support. They can provide companionship, run errands, provide light housekeeping, go grocery shopping or help with hobbies or crafts.
This team develops an individualized plan of care, focused on patient comfort, well-being and quality of life, both during curative treatment and after treatments have stopped. They also provide emotional and spiritual support, as well as access to community resources, that support individual needs.
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DID YOU KNOW …
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SEWING FROM THE HEARTStaff, volunteers honor patient with memory quiltsCapturing memories means everything to the Regan family.
In the Romeoville home of Robert and Cheri Regan, walls are filled with photos of family vacations, holidays and motorcycle rides.
Even the couple’s annual Christmas gifts to their eight children are sentimental photos or other reminders of time spent together.
Often, that sentiment is focused on commemorating Robert’s and Cheri’s son, Brandon. The 29-year-old was diagnosed at age 15 with a degeneration of the cerebellum that causes severe seizures, as well as ataxia that prevents him from controlling his body movements.
Robert and Cheri believe it’s critical to celebrate every moment their family shares with Brandon, who himself believes in living life to the fullest. Since his diagnosis Brandon has had the fortune of meeting his hero, country singer Garth Brooks, and sitting front row at several of his concerts. To spread his gratitude and pay it forward, Brandon and his parents started a charity called Team Beefer Just Smile Inc. – a play on Brandon’s nickname and sunny disposition – to help others living with critical illness also have their wishes granted.
“Our family believes it’s not about what you have or what you accumulate, it’s about what you give back,” Robert says.
But since the Regans chose JourneyCare for Brandon’s care last year, they are finding that agency staff and volunteers love granting patient wishes, too.
This past Christmas, Cheri shared an idea with JourneyCare Child Life Specialist Jennifer Fieten, a member of Brandon’s care team: Cheri had tucked away giant bags of Brandon’s favorite clothes that she had always hoped to turn into quilts for each of his siblings. But she didn’t have the sewing skills to complete the project, nor could she take time away from helping to care for Brandon.
“I had this great idea, but I just didn’t know how to make it happen,” Cheri said.
That’s when Fieten coordinated with Patient Care Volunteer Coordinator Carol Ramsey, who quickly
found seven volunteers from throughout JourneyCare’s 10-county service area willing to create the memory quilts as surprise Christmas gifts.
Margie Cipperoni, Mary Jo Deysach, Elaine Kurczewski, Julie Milne, Ann O’Callaghan Shoup, Laurie Waldron and Linda Warren dedicated weeks to mixing Brandon’s beloved T-shirts and favorite pairs of pants with decorative fabric. In the end, the women donated their time, talents and resources to make seven quilts – plus a lap blanket sewn by Julie – that celebrate Brandon’s important role as a family inspiration. (See Page 7 to learn more about these volunteers.)
When Fieten delivered the blankets to Robert and Cheri, Robert could not hold back tears as he examined the handcrafted work donated to honor his son. Brandon’s siblings also were struck.
“The quilts were absolutely breathtaking,” Robert said. “It’s funny how something so simple like a T-shirt can take you to a time and moment. When each one of our kids got their blanket, they immediately started going, ‘Remember when we took Brandon to McDonald’s and he had these sweatpants on and did this or that?’ They all started telling stories and it was a very emotional time to watch the kids do that. We are so thankful for every day that we’ve got with Brandon, and I’m lucky that I’ve had the pleasure of being with him every day of his life.”
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Cheri, Brandon, Robert and, at top, Dakota Regan, each say they love the memory quilts created for their family by JourneyCare volunteers, which were made of Brandon’s favorite clothes.
Two weeks before Christmas 2014, JulieAnn “Jules” Ross’ two children, Hannah and Connor, were shooting hoops with her 76-year-old mother, Elizabeth Labny.
JulieAnn then planned for her mother to sleep over on Christmas Eve so Elizabeth could share Christmas morning with her grandchildren. That night, however, Elizabeth suffered a massive stroke, due in part to her previous diagnosis of primary progressive aphasia, a rare neurological syndrome that causes frontotemporal lobe degeneration.
As her condition worsened, Elizabeth was moved between two local hospitals until doctors ran out of curative treatment options. On New Year’s Day, JulieAnn met with Julie Fohrman, gerontologist and director of North Shore Geriatric Care Management in Highland Park, who suggested JourneyCare for hospice care.
Elizabeth was taken to the Marshak Family Hospice CareCenter in Glenview, which JulieAnn described as a “life-altering experience” for both her and her mother.
“It’s one thing to be surrounded by family, but it’s another thing to be alone with your dying mother,” JulieAnn said. “I am a single mother and had no siblings to help, so the staff was always making sure I was OK. Through this whole experience, I was never alone.”
From the moment they arrived at the Hospice CareCenter, JulieAnn said she gained a sense of calm from the serene setting and the kindness of the staff and volunteers.
Each day, JulieAnn saw the staff help to provide care for her mother’s body, mind and spirit. Elizabeth was a deeply religious woman, so Chaplain Susan Martersteck or volunteers would read her daily passages from the Bible.
And because Elizabeth also loved the outdoors, staff turned her bed to face the Waud Family Healing Garden outside her window.
As a daughter and caregiver, JulieAnn needed support, too. She said she found it with JourneyCare. When JulieAnn stopped eating due to stress, as she was by
her mother’s side around the clock, Chef Stephen Manno ensured she had breakfast each morning.
Staff and volunteers also checked in to make sure JulieAnn was holding up emotionally. One volunteer even wrote her a letter of support.
They also helped JulieAnn learn to carve out time for herself, so she wouldn’t burn out. And when Elizabeth passed away about two weeks after the mother and daughter arrived at the Hospice CareCenter, staff members converged to comfort JulieAnn.
“The care from start to finish was absolutely incredible,” JulieAnn said. “Many of my friends and I have lived on the North Shore for years, and none of us knew the Hospice CareCenter was here. People need to know about this, because it saved me. There should be places like this everywhere. I know that by choosing JourneyCare, I gave my mother a gift.”
JulieAnn Ross, center, says JourneyCare helped her cope at the end of her mother Elizabeth’s life, which happened shortly after her father, Dr. Edward Labny, died. Here, her parents cheer her on during a pageant. | Photo courtesy of JulieAnn Ross
JulieAnn Ross with her children, Connor and Hannah, near their North Shore home. Photo by Lee Ross
CARING FOR PATIENTS – AND THEIR FAMILIES
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MEET THE QUILTERS
Margie Cipperoni Hawthorn Woods
• Quilting for 10 years
• Volunteering for two years
“I felt each T-shirt meant a great deal to the family and wondered what event, time or place was to be remembered with each individual shirt. I imagined this person wearing the shirt and being happy at the time. This project involved such a special, caring and compassionate group of women, both volunteers and staff members, and I am honored to be among them!”
Mary Jo Deysach Evanston
• Quilting for 38 years
• Volunteering for more than a decade
“I thought of the patient and his family a lot while making this quilt. Judging from the kinds of T-shirts he had, he must be a very fun-loving, sports-oriented young man. I am one of eight siblings and know that each child brings something unique and valuable to the family. I knew this was something I was good at, and that a few hours of my time would bring years of comfort to another person. It’s also important to know that this project would not have happened without dedicated staff members like Patient Care Volunteer Coordinator Carol Ramsey, who did everything from washing the clothing to contacting the quilters and even trouble-shooting some challenges.”
Elaine Kurczewski Northbrook
• Quilting for more than 20 years
• Volunteering for 15 years and serves on the Board of Trustees
“This quilt did take time and a lot of forethought, planning, measuring, cutting and sewing – but it is a gift I loved giving and would do it again. I hope that it helped our patient’s family, as it was sent along with a lot of love. Any little gift we can give to comfort someone during a challenging time is worth any effort on my part.”
Julie Milne Northbrook
• Quilting for two years
• Volunteering for five years
“Both of my parents, my father-in-law, and an aunt and uncle were all the recipients of the tender, loving care from Midwest CareCenter, which is now JourneyCare. So I’ve had a relationship with this organization since 2002, even before I began to volunteer. When I sew my quilts, I infuse them with love and I play beautiful, calming and spiritual music. For me, this was a spiritual, metaphysical project with a lot of metaphors. As I was deconstructing all the clothing, I was aware how with illness and death our daily lives become deconstructed. And as I looked at all the pieces of fabric and began to create, I thought about all the choices we have during illness and death: we have the choice to create something new, totally different from what we have experienced. I prayed for Brandon and his family as I was creating. I hope Brandon’s siblings feel themselves surrounded by his love when they use the quilts.”
Ann O’Callaghan Shoup Wilmette
• Quilting for 10 years and sewing for 35
• This quilt was her first volunteer effort for JourneyCare
“I thought so much about the family who would receive the quilts as I was sewing. I hoped that the quilts would bring them comfort, physically and emotionally. I truly believe that memory quilts made with family textiles play a special role in helping a family heal. My dear friend Angie Dahl, who is a regular volunteer at JourneyCare, reached out to me to see if I could help with this project. I have had the honor of being entrusted with creating memory quilts for a family before, so I knew firsthand how personally rewarding this would be.”
Laurie Waldron Libertyville
• Quilting for three years
• Volunteering for five years
“These types of quilts are challenging and I completed mine with the help of my friend Ginny Flock (pictured left). But when they are completed, the quilter gets a sense of fulfillment knowing the hours of work will bring joy to whoever receives it. God loves a cheerful giver and by giving we are blessed.”
Linda Warren Deerfield
• Quilting for 10 years
• Volunteering for four years
Before my husband died in 2011, he was cared for at home by this agency. His care was so wonderful and we were so appreciative, so I began volunteering at the reception desk at Marshak Family Hospice CareCenter when it opened in 2012. Oftentimes, I take quilting projects with me and the families – even the men – will start chatting with me because their mothers quilt or they have some connection. Quilting gives families something else to talk about besides what they are struggling with and it brightens things up for them. This particular project gave me pleasure to be able to create something that might bring others some joy.
SHARE YOUR TALENTS
In addition to projects like this, JourneyCare volunteers provide companionship to patients, help out in the offices, run errands for families and organize special events. Volunteers can choose the schedule and locations that are most convenient for them and that fit their schedules and lifestyles. There are more than 50 volunteer roles. For details on volunteering, call 224-770-2412, email [email protected] or visit journeycare.org.
All JourneyCare patients and their families are served by dedicated volunteers, who number nearly 1,500 throughout 10 counties that include the Chicago area and northern Illinois. Like the women who donated their talents to the Regan family (story on Page 6), volunteers provide invaluable support and care to help make moments count for those touched by serious illness and loss. Here, the quilting volunteers share their thoughts on helping the Regan family make the most of their time with Brandon.
Together to Care SPRING 2016 7
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Together to Care SPRING 20168
JourneyCare Juniors volunteers Kate Kainz and Claire Kavanagh helped make blankets for the annual Soup & Stories program.
Decades Dance sponsor Garo Kholamian of Barrington Hills, center, danced the night away to the sounds of Libido Funk Circus.
Their creativity helped Jennifer and George Tarulis of Barrington win the costume contest at the annual Decades Dance. The event raised funds to benefit JourneyCare’s All About Kids program.
Volunteers Christine Gimbar and Susan Tennant of Chicago, left, joined guest Johanna Drew and Senior Director of Service Excellence Eric Miller for volunteer appreciation night at Pinstripes Chicago.
JourneyCare
Volunteers Coordinator Noel Gilligan, second from left, celebrates the contributions of volunteers Gerri Tucker, from left, Ruth Ultmann and Jacob Miller, all of Chicago, during “Growing Together,” a volunteer appreciation reception at Pinstripes in Chicago.
Board Member Sam Oliver and her husband, Bob, joined Joan Carlson and Board Chair Bruce Carlson for the night of retro fun.
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Together to Care SPRING 2016 9
Vice President of Business Development Mary Pat Scoltock, center, visited with Michael and Karen Shell of Elgin during the Decades Dance at the Stonegate Conference Centre in Hoffman Estates.
The Decades Dance included a contest to judge guests’ best moves, including Dave Waring of North Barrington, center left, and Jeanne Hansen, pastor of St. Paul United Church of Christ in Barrington, center right.
Volunteer Ashley Fanco, left and Community Engagement Specialist Julie Linnekin, right, visit with patient, Elizabeth, on her 107th birthday during the annual Soup & Stories program.
Larry Feldman, President of AdvaCare and Decades Dance sponsor, chats with the night’s emcee Bob Roig before the live auction.
Chief People Officer Greg Belback, left and Volunteer Coordinator Noel Gilligan, right, headed to Pinstripes to celebrate volunteers Jacob Miller of Chicago, second from left, who has been giving his time for 25 years; Malcolm Rich of Skokie, center, a 35-year volunteer; and Sherman Blackman of Chicago, who has also served for 25 years.
IN ACTION
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WHY I GIVE: Pam Hutul Ross‘The integrity is so impressive’
LEADERSHIP PROFILE: Board Chair fuses business focus with compassion
After my mother, Dolly Hutul, had experienced her second bad fall, I came to JourneyCare asking for palliative care to see if they could give our family ideas on how to get her going again.
But after their evaluation, the clinical team called me and my brother, Jonathan, into the room to explain that she was ready for hospice. We were shocked at the news, but they gave us wonderful support and helped us over that very difficult step of accepting that this was her final journey.
Their goal, they said, was to help her live fully for as much time as she had. So this not only honored my mom, but it honored us.
My mother was being cared for at Warren Barr Gold Coast rehab facility in Chicago, and JourneyCare was able to care for her at the place she ultimately called home. This was especially important not only to keep her in the same environment, but so I could easily continue to visit her from my home nearby.
Mom’s JourneyCare team was able to coordinate care extremely well with the staff at Warren Barr, and I felt extra comfort knowing that she had this new level of support. Hospice care made both of our lives better, because it helped alleviate my worries, too.
Immediately after her care began, my mom’s day-to-day situation improved thanks to changes like a medication assessment that ensured she was on the best prescriptions for her condition, as well as safety precautions like padding on the floor to prevent falls.
As part of her care, volunteer Paul Witt visited my mother each week and they developed a true bond. Paul got her talking about her childhood and then he would go to the places they spoke about and bring photos to her of each locale. He was also an artist and, during their visits, he would paint watercolors of the places they talked about. Their relationship honestly changed her life.
Even after my Mom died, JourneyCare continued to touch my world. A family friend lost her mother, and
my friend’s young daughter, Rebecca, struggled with a lot of grief after the death of her grandmother. I referred their family to JourneyCare’s bereavement camps for children and teens, and they took such wonderful care of Rebecca. It was a great experience for her.
I know first-hand how wonderful the service is, and that’s why I choose to support JourneyCare. The integrity of this organization is so impressive. I especially appreciate how the care teams work with both the patients and their families – it’s a multi-dimensional approach that is important.
And now that JourneyCare covers 10 counties that include the Chicago region and northern Illinois, it’s more important than ever to make sure this care is available to all families who need it. I see what JourneyCare does on so many levels as being positive, and I’m definitely pleased to contribute.
Q How did you connect with JourneyCare?
A Reflecting on the path that ultimately led me here, I suppose it started with my desire to participate in the service of others that makes a very direct and significant difference.
I grew up in Arlington Heights but early in my professional life I moved to London, where I lived and
worked for many years. Thinking back on my volunteer activities while there, I realized I was drawn to helping vulnerable people in ways that offer them dignity, a voice and a choice.
For example, tutoring adults in literacy was gratifying because the simple act liberated them, and their lives were transformed. For similar reasons, I enjoyed helping build homes for families in poor communities in England and Nicaragua. It actively involved the families, and empowered them to obtain a basic human need. I also got my first experiences visiting elderly residents in long-term care facilities and observed that compassionate care made a positive difference for them.
When I moved back to the Chicago area I was seeking to contribute to my local community in a way that meshed with those values of providing dignity, voice and choice. I came across an advertisement for training to be a patient care volunteer with what is now JourneyCare’s Glenview location and have been consistently involved for over 10 years. I’ve seen how this work is transformative for patients, their families and their legacy, and it is an amazing experience.
Pam Hutul Ross
Dolly Hutul’s children felt relieved by the JourneyCare hospice team, allowing them to focus on cherished memories like this pool game. | Courtesy of the Hutul family
Julia Cormier
Q Since you were already involved as patient care volunteer, what motivated you to expand your service to our Board of Directors?
A By visiting patients and being a member of the interdisciplinary team, I saw the positive impact palliative and hospice care had on patients and their families. My business background is in financial services but I didn’t know the “business” of palliative and hospice care, and wanted to understand more about how all aspects of our care are delivered and how more patients could be served. That led me to the Board, which I joined about five years ago, with the goals of learning and contributing as much as I could to ensure that the compassionate care we deliver is able to continue indefinitely.
I continue to be amazed and inspired by the leadership of JourneyCare. We are very fortunate to have such widespread talent and dedication from the agency Board of Directors and JourneyCare Foundation Board of Trustees. Members represent all of our legacy organizations and the blending of the groups has been deliberate and very constructive. All are committed to the mission and are very focused on running a fiscally sound organization. We are grateful that our stakeholders across all our combined regions, especially donors, have been incredibly supportive of our future. We are committed to being good stewards of their generosity.
Q If you look at JourneyCare through your business lens, what do you see as some of the challenges and goals ahead?
A Healthcare is a complex industry with fiscal pressures and the demographics of the U.S. will increase future challenges. But challenges create opportunities, and we’re mindful of the former, but focused on the latter. There is tremendous opportunity for growth in our approach to care and we are focused on implementing our strategy of being an innovative leader in successfully.
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To donate to JourneyCare or learn more about how you can make a difference in the lives of patients and families, please complete the enclosed envelope on Pages 6-7 or visit journeycare.org.
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EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM
President & Chief Executive OfficerSarah Bealles, CHPCA
Vice President, Quality and ComplianceSusan Stefan, DNP, RN-BC, CPHQ
Vice President, Business DevelopmentMary Pat Scoltock
Vice President of Human ResourcesMiriam Wallace, SPHR
Vice President of Information TechnologySyed Haque
SHARE YOUR STORIES
For information on this publication or to share story ideas, contact Elisabeth Mistretta at [email protected] or call (847) 556-1739.
JOURNEYCARE FOUNDATION
JourneyCare Foundation was established to help JourneyCare keep one of its most important promises: never turn anyone away because of inability to pay.
At JourneyCare Foundation, we hold on to the dream that end-of-life care will be available to all who can benefit. Your donation to the JourneyCare Foundation will help ensure that JourneyCare can continue providing compassionate, exceptional care to patients and families throughout our 10 county service area for years to come, and that everyone who is in need of our services receives the support they need, regardless of their ability to pay.
To make a gift or for details on legacy giving, contact Anne Rossiter, Senior Director of Philanthropy, at [email protected] or (847) 556-1605, or visit journeycare.org.
One of the benefits of our merger was to broaden and deepen our services to our communities and with our integration well underway, there has been immediate benefit to the patients served. It’s also critical that we continue to innovate and lead in providing compassionate care which is centered on what is best for the patient, rather than doing things to the patient. In America, we often have a “fix it” mentality when it comes to traditional healthcare. But we have an opportunity to expand the discussion about what that means. Research shows that palliative and hospice care increases quality of life, and increases length of life, at a lower cost. That’s compelling from a compassionate and business perspective.
Q JourneyCare aims to remain a leader in setting the standard for patient care. What does that leadership look like?
A It looks a lot like what we are doing today: aligning our mission, vision and values, By setting high standards and committing to excellence in everything we do, we create a culture that engages and empowers us all. We are interdependent in the best possible way – accountable to our patients, each other, and our communities. That’s incredibly powerful.
Q You have supported many causes, but you have committed to hospice and this organization for more than a decade. Why does it remain so dear to you?
A Because it is so authentic; it makes life better; and has a tremendous return to our communities. I don’t mean to glamorize it. Dying is difficult. But it’s when things are difficult, and we are at our most vulnerable, that how we are cared for matters most. As a patient care volunteer, one of the things I cherish is the privilege of entering venerated space with another human being. It requires empathy, humility and courage and enriches the present and the future. There is no greater gift.
Together to Care SPRING 2016 11
Join the conversation and follow us on Twitter @journeycare
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT …
Every year April 16 marks an important day for those who are passionate about hospice and palliative care: National Healthcare Decisions Day.
This nationwide initiative exists to inspire, educate and empower the public and healthcare providers about the importance of advance care planning.
It falls on April 16 – the day after Tax Day – to correspond with Benjamin Franklin’s famous quote “in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”
This year’s theme for National Healthcare Decisions Day was “It Always Seems Too Early, Until It’s Too Late.”
And it’s certainly never too late to start talking with your family and your doctor about your healthcare wishes – whether it’s April 16 or not.
JourneyCare works with each of our patients and their families to understand their medical goals and wishes. But we also strive to educate our communities on this process, too.
Through a tool called “Five Wishes,” provided by community-based, advance care planning organization Be @ Ease, residents in the 10 Illinois counties served by JourneyCare can map out their advanced directives. “Five Wishes” is an easy-to-use legal document that is valid in most states,
and written in everyday language that lets adults plan how they want to be cared for in case they become seriously ill.
“Five Wishes” helps you express how you want to be treated if you are seriously ill and unable to speak for yourself. It is unique because it speaks to a person’s holistic needs: medical, personal, emotional and spiritual.
“Many people think advance directives are only for older adults or people who face serious illness, but we encourage them for anyone 18 and older,” says Rachael Telleen, JourneyCare Advance Care Planning Advocate. “The goal is to make a cultural shift and make these discussions normal, so that we all have our advance directives mapped out.”
To obtain a copy of “Five Wishes,” visit Be @ Ease at beatease.org, or contact Rachael Telleen at [email protected] or (312) 912-2678.
Through Telleen, appointments can also be scheduled with JourneyCare volunteers who are trained to help answer questions for those completing the “Five Wishes” document.
Additionally, JourneyCare can also deliver presentations on “Five Wishes” and advance care planning to community groups, including local churches or civic clubs.
Together to Care is published periodically by JourneyCare, a nonprofit, community-based healthcare organization. For more information about JourneyCare programs and services, call (224) 770-2489 or visit journeycare.org.
We respect your right to privacy, and if you prefer not to receive this publication, we will make reasonable efforts to remove your name from our mailing list if you request that we do so. Please send an e-mail to [email protected] noting your preference. Or write to Marketing & Communications, JourneyCare, 2050 Claire Court, Glenview, IL 60025.
Please make sure to ‘like’ our JourneyCare Facebook page, facebook.com/journeycareorg
To sign up for electronic communications from JourneyCare, please e-mail us at [email protected].
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CALENDARTo see a full listing of all upcoming JourneyCare events, including our complete grief support offerings, community education, and events for volunteers, please visit journeycare.org/events. And keep up with all our latest news by following us @journeycare on Twitter and liking us on Facebook!
Country & Town Gala – Barrington HillsThe JourneyCare Foundation’s annual fundraising gala has two homes this year – one in Barrington and one in Chicago – and all are welcome to both. Tickets cost $350 ($250 for those 40 years and under) for a night of dinner, entertainment, live and silent auctions, and more. We are offering a one-time $50 discount ($350 ticket only) to those who purchase tickets to attend both Country & Town Galas.
TIME 5:30-11:30 p.m.
LOCATION A private residence in Barrington Hills
To RSVP or for sponsorship details, contact Kristin Frazier at [email protected] or (224) 770-2414.
Country & Town Gala – ChicagoThis is the second edition of the JourneyCare Foundation’s annual fundraising gala, which welcomes all supporters and friends to raise funds for hospice and palliative care. Tickets cost $350 ($250 for those 40 years and under) for a night of dinner, entertainment, live and silent auctions, and more. We are offering a one-time $50 discount ($350 ticket only) to those who purchase tickets to attend both Country & Town Galas.
TIME 6-11:30 p.m.
LOCATION Venue One, 1034 W. Randolph Street, Chicago
To RSVP or for sponsorship details, contact Kristin Frazier at [email protected] or (224) 770-2414.
Duck Race and Pool PartyJourneyCare’s Duck Race and Pool Party benefits the All About Kids program, which provides specialized care and support to children with chronic illnesses and their families. Attendance is free. Guests are invited to sponsor one duck or a whole flock!
TIME 4-7 p.m.
LOCATION Langendorf Park and Aqualusion Pool, 235 Lions Drive, Barrington
To RSVP or for sponsorship details, contact Julie Linnekin at [email protected] or (224) 770-2416.
14th Annual Memorial Golf OutingHosted by Gary Binder and Jeffery S. Vender, MD, this event will raise funds for JourneyCare’s critical training and education for future palliative care practitioners through the Jeffery S. Vender, MD, Fund in Palliative Care Education. Tickets are $3,500 for a foursome; twosome $1,800; single $1,000; or $125 for cocktails and dinner only.
