Hospice, nursing care unite in MA

[cougarnurse]

Thought this was something you should know: Hospice, nursing care unite - Berkshire Eagle Online

Berkshire Healthcare Systems Inc. -- the state's largest nonprofit nursing home company -- and HospiceCare in the Berkshires have become one in a merger that officials of both organizations say will be mutually beneficial.

Berkshire Healthcare operates 16 rehabilitation and nursing facilities, including six in Berkshire County, and Kimball Farms Lifecare retirement community and nursing center in Lenox. The long-term care company is independent of Berkshire Health Systems, the parent company of Berkshire Medical Center and Fairview Hospital.

HospiceCare, founded in 1980, provides comprehensive hospice services to about 90 terminally-ill patients and their families each day.

"It's a natural fit we both serve the community together," said William C. Jones, executive vice president of Berkshire Healthcare. "We both have not-for-profit status, are mission driven and serve an overlapping population in the Berkshires."

Sully Garofano, who been the president of HospiceCare's board of directors, agreed.

"We've had the benefit of working close through the years," he said. "Now, we'll work closer."

Garofano will now chair the newly formed eight-member Hospice Advisory Committee that will answer to Berkshire Healthcare's Board of Directors now governing both organizations. The committee will consist of six HospiceCare representatives and two from Berkshire Healthcare.

Aside from the dissolution of its board, HospiceCare will remain intact -- which means no layoffs.

"Everything stays the same," said Jones. "We're not interested in making adjustments to HospiceCare."

Denise R. Granger will continue as the executive director of an agency with annual budget of $7 million that employees 55 to 60 and relies on 120 volunteers -- a number that could grow due to the merger.

"I think our volunteer base will increase within 24 hours of people hearing this," predicted Robin McGraw of HospiceCare, citing Berkshire Healthcare's good reputation as the reason.

McGraw said HospiceCare will continue to do its own fundraising to provide services and programs not covered by Medicare and other insurance providers.

"Hospice will be able to do more by serving larger numbers of people and providing families a broader scope of services," said Berkshire Healthcare Board of Directors Chairman Carmen C. Massimiano Jr.

The union also "couldn't come at a better time," said McGraw, referring to HospiceCare achieving fiscal stability. He and others praised Granger for maintaining a balanced budget for the second year in a row, after the agency suffered its first-ever deficit in 2007 of $523,000.

HospiceCare is also rebounding from its failed attempt to build a $12 million Hospice House at its headquarters on 877 South St. in Pittsfield. The agency broke ground in January 2008 on the 12-patient facility to provide 24-hour care to dying patients, only to suspend the project two months later. Officials cited increasing costs and the inability to secure local financing in a troubled economy as reasons for halting construction before it began.

Nevertheless, Hospice Care officials said they are interested in revisiting the project.

"Whether we build that house is not a question we can answer now," said McGraw.

But personally, he, Garofano and Brian Fairbank still want Hospice House to eventually become a reality.

"I will put every bit of energy I have to get that done," said Fairbank, a former HospiceCare board member.

Massimiano also supports the concept, but expects the Hospice Advisory Committee would make the recommendation on such a project needing approval from Berkshire Healthcare's board.

[suebird3]

I was just wondering---does this mean anyone in the community who decides on hospice care has to go with the Hospice the facility partnered with? Just a thought.