The Maryland Health Care Commission has approved Hospice of Queen Anne’s as the sole provider of hospice services in Queen Anne’s, Kent and Caroline Counties.
In an agreement reached with University of Maryland Shore Regional Health, Hospice of Queen Anne’s is now approved to provide hospice services and grief support formerly offered by Shore Home Care and Hospice and Chester River Home Care and Hospice.
Members of the Hospice of Queen Anne’s management team meet to discuss expansion of services to patients and families in Caroline and Kent Counties. Pictured are (left to right) Kenda Leager, development officer; Linda Mastro, marketing and communications director; Kathy Deoudes, board chair; Heather Guerieri, executive director; Lori Collier, director, clinical services; and Sharon Loving, support services supervisor.
Hospice of Queen Anne’s, founded by a group of volunteers, has been the Eastern Shore’s model for community based hospice since 1985. Hospice of Queen Anne’s provides care in private homes, nursing homes and assisted living facilities. The six-bed Hospice Center in Centreville is a residential hospice care facility that is also licensed for general inpatient care for hospice patients who require around the clock nursing care.
Heather Guerieri, executive director, Hospice of Queen Anne’s, says, “I want to thank our colleagues at Shore Regional Health for working with us over the past several months to make this transition go smoothly. We share a commitment to helping patients and families receive the best care at the right time and in the right place. Although we are now the primary provider of hospice care in Caroline, Kent and Queen Anne’s counties, we will continue to work closely with Shore Regional Health when patients are ready to move from hospital, palliative or home health care to hospice care.”
Guerieri adds, “One of our priorities is to help physicians get information about hospice so that they can meet the needs of patients and their families. We help patients and families access a team of nurses, nursing assistants, social workers, grief and spiritual counselors, financial advisors, and volunteers, who step in to provide care that meets the needs of each family.”
Hospice of Queen Anne’s is a non-profit organization that relies on charitable gifts from the community to cover the gap between the cost of providing hospice services and reimbursement received from Medicare, Medicaid, insurance and private payments.
Hospice of Queen Anne’s, which will continue fundraising for services provided in Queen Anne’s County, will begin to raise funds that will be used to provide hospice care in Kent County. HQA will also use funds raised to date by University of Maryland Chester River Health Foundation for hospice care for Kent County residents.
The Caroline Hospice Foundation will continue to sponsor fundraisers with the goal of re-opening Caroline Hospice House in Denton for patient care and to help Hospice of Queen Anne’s offset the cost of providing hospice care to Caroline County residents.
Hospice care in Talbot County will be provided through a partnership between Talbot Hospice Foundation and Hospice of Queen Anne’s until THF receives its license to operate as an independent, full-service hospice provider. Talbot Hospice Foundation expects to receive state approval to operate independently by the end of 2015.
For more information about Hospice of Queen Anne’s, call 443-262-4100 or visitwww.hospiceofqueenanne’s.org.
About Hospice of Queen Anne’s
Since 1985, Hospice of Queen Anne’s has been dedicated to supporting and helping people living with a life-limiting illness. What began as an all-volunteer community service has since developed into a visionary, state-of-the-art organization recognized locally, regionally and statewide for its excellence. In addition to home hospice and grief support programs, Hospice of Queen Anne’s offers Bridges, a non-medical supportive care program for individuals who are transitioning to the next level of care or who are not yet ready for hospice. The six-bed residential Hospice Center located at 255 Comet Drive in Centreville is a home-like setting where clinical care is provided around the clock. The Hospice Center is also the region’s only free-standing licensed general inpatient facility for hospice patients who need continual nursing care. Hospice of Queen Anne’s provides pediatric hospice care under the umbrella of Queen Anne’s Kids, a member of the region’s Hospice Alliance Kids network.
Hospice of Queen Anne’s is a fully licensed, independent, community-based non-profit organization certified by Medicare and the State of Maryland, and accredited by the Joint Commission. It is affiliated with the National Hospice and Palliative Care Network and the Hospice Network of Maryland.
About Caroline Hospice Foundation
Caroline Hospice Foundation was formed in 1983 as an all-volunteer group dedicated to providing support services for terminally ill residents in Caroline County. Incorporated in 1985, the foundation is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors, which continues the mission of supporting patients and families wherever they receive hospice services in Caroline County. Caroline Hospice Foundation runs solely on grants, fundraisers and donations, and receives no state or county assistance. It is the goal of the Board of Directors to be able to continue to raise funds to re-open the three-bed residential Home for Hospice based in Denton.
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