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About Hospice of Lenawee

Hospice of Lenawee provides compassionate, patient and family-centered care to the people of our community during and after the last season of life.

History of Hospice

History of Hospice of Lenawee

History of Hospice of Lenawee

In 1981, a group of individuals, having learned about a fairly new philosophy for end-of-life care, decided they wanted to form a hospice to serve the people of Lenawee County. Hospice of Lenawee, Inc. was chartered on January 1, 1982 as an independent, community based, nonprofit hospice and served its first patient early that year. In its very early stages, Hospice of Lenawee functioned as an all volunteer organization, but as people became aware of the remarkable compassionate care being provided, a small paid staff was hired consisting of an administrator, a nurse, a social worker, a bereavement counselor and a volunteer coordinator. All of the services were paid for with donations from the community.

In the fall of 1990, Hospice of Lenawee became certified by Medicare to receive reimbursement for patient care. The Medicare and other insurance reimbursements provided for much more stable funding, although community support was, and is, still necessary to provide services to those who have no Medicare or other insurance benefits.

As word spread about hospice care as an alternative for end-of-life care, the number of patients being served grew dramatically. In 2007, Hospice of Lenawee served 389 patients in their homes or nursing homes, averaging over 75 patients per day by year end. This is an increase from an average of 43 patients per day in 2005.

In early 2007, the Board of Directors recognized that there was a gap in our services for those in need of 24-hour RN care - when home care was either impractical or not even possible. After an extensive Needs Assessment, It was then that the Board decided it was time to move forward with plans to build an 8-bed inpatient facility.

Through the generosity of hundreds of donors, in July 2012, Hospice of Lenawee opened the first Hospice inpatient facility in Lenawee County.  We call it our Hospice Home, as it is truly just that - a home to all we serve within these walls.  Since opening our doors, we have served hundreds of patients with the special kind of care that Hospice of Lenawee has always been known to provide.  Our census continues to climb, averaging between 125-140 daily.  We are committed to remaining Lenawee County's only free-standing, independent non-profit Hospice and are dedicated to Our Mission:  To provide compassionate, patient and family-centered care to the people of our community during and after the last season of life. 

The Myths of Hospice

In caring for our community, Hospice of Lenawee understands that it is all encompassing.  Educating the community is a large piece of what we do.  Often times the misconceptions that are spread regarding end-of-life care keep people from asking for help.  We refer to those misconceptions as the "Myths of Hospice" and it is our responsibility to bust those myths.  Following are just a few...

  • Myth:  If I accept a referral to hospice it means I have given up.
    Fact:  Accepting a referral to hospice simply means you have chosen to focus on the quality of life for however much time you have left.  Our goals at Hospice of Lenawee are to reduce physical pain, create emotional well-being and enhance spiritual peace.
  • Myth:  Hospice is only available for the last few days of life. 
    Fact:  Hospice care is available at any point that a physician certifies that a person has a life-limiting illness and could pass away within 6 months.  People live an average of 29 days longer under hospice care than alternative forms of end-of-life care.  And they live with more comfort, more dignity and more peace.
  • Myth:  Hospice is available only if I have cancer.
    Fact:  Hospice care is available to anyone with any type of life-limiting illness.  Cancer represents the diagnosis in less than half of our patients.
  • Myth:  Hospice care is expensive.
    Fact:  With the exception of some room and board expenses relating to stays at our Hospice Home, Medicare, Medicaid and other health insurance may cover the cost of hospice care.  If a person is not eligible through their insurance coverage, we are often able to provide care at little or no cost, due to the charitable gift support we receive from the community.
  • Myth:  All hospice care is alike.
    Fact:  Hospice of Lenawee is the primary non-profit Hospice serving Lenawee County.  For over 35 years, we have served the people of Lenawee County in their homes or wherever they define home to be.  For those in need of 24-hour round-the-clock care, our Hospice Home is also available to provide the same compassionate care people have come to expect from Hospice of Lenawee.  In addition, we provide our Bereavement services to anyone in our community who has suffered a loss - and at no cost.  For these reasons and many others, Hospice of Lenawee is special and our community's Hospice.

Our focus is on our patients and those who love them.  We maintain or improve each patient’s quality of life through a personalized patient care program designed with the patient, their family, their caregivers, and their physicians.  To dispel those Myths,  Hospice of Lenawee offers knowledge, education, and resources to everyone in our community. If you are interested in learning more about end-of-life care, call us at (517) 263-2323 and we can bust those myths together! 

Why We’re Different

Our Team

Executive Committee

Amy Bergman
Chair

Todd Carver
Vice Chair

Chris Clarke
 Treasurer

Julie Goll
Secretary

Robert Vogel
Immediate Past Chair

Executive Committee

Board of Directors

Amy Bergman
Chair

Todd Carver
Vice Chair

Chris Clarke
 Treasurer

Julie Goll
Secretary

Robert Vogel
Immediate Past Chair

Holleigh Baker

John Barnhart

Mary Myers Bohn

Margaret Coyne, OP

Maria Carrico

Jeff Danley

Meggan Wanke-Hammond

Patt Hayes

Jeanette Henagan

Dane Nelson

Daniel Pena

Brian Nofzinger

JoAnn Negrete Spade

Matt Swartzlander

Cathy Thielan

Bryan Ward

Sally Whelan
Emeritus Director

Travis Havens
 President & CEO

Leadership Staff

Travis Havens

Travis Havens
 President & CEO

Justin Voorhees, MD

Justin Voorhees, MD
 Medical Director

Jennifer Bettinger, DPN, RN

Jennifer Bettinger, DPN, RN
Director of Patient Care

Heather Rowe
Director of Volunteers

Lee Ann Straub

Lee Ann Straub
 Director of Bereavement Services

Heather Perez

Heather Perez
Director of Development

Kimberly Jones

Kimberly Jones
Director of Human Resources

Clinical Leadership

Danielle Agge
RN, BSN - Residence Manager

Deb Kemper

Deb Kemper
RN, MSN - Staff Educator

Andrea MillerAndrea Miller
RN, BSN, CHPN - Patient Care Coordinator

Stacey Knierim-Clark
RN, BSN, CHPN – Admissions Coordinator

Karrie Harris
RN - Assistant Patient Care Coordinator