The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

Hospice House needs expansion to keep pace with area growth

To the Editor:

Access to quality medical care is critical, and most of us plan carefully to ensure that we have resources in place in the event of accident or illness. In Central Oregon we are fortunate to be able to quickly access a broad range of these services.

For those of us who have experienced the loss of a loved one, we know that end-of-life care goes well beyond the acute care services available to us. It also involves profound emotional and spiritual issues for both patient and family members. Though often overlooked within the context of medical crises, hospice services provide specialized care that bring tangible relief and comfort at such times of tremendous strain.

Here in Central Oregon, we are fortunate to have several hospice care providers at the ready. But as our population grows, collective action is required to ensure that adequate hospice care is in place to provide for all who need it.

Partners In Care operates Hospice House in Bend, the only inpatient hospice facility east of the Cascades in Oregon. Hospice House provides short-term care for the hospice patients of Partners In Care, as well as from other hospice organizations under contract with Partners In Care. For those of us in Sisters, Hospice House is our place for inpatient hospice care.

The Sisters community is now rallying to support a doubling of capacity at the brand-new Hospice House to keep up with a growing population. The capital campaign currently underway will fund the new 12-bed facility, with one suite named Three Sisters. This capacity expansion is intended to help reduce possible waiting queues for those who may need access to both intensive symptom management and respite care for family members.

Many of us are eternally grateful for the first-hand experiences we have had with hospice care, whether in Central Oregon or elsewhere. It is time to pay it forward and contribute to ensure that such services are available to our friends and neighbors here in Sisters when they need them.

Perhaps in memory of a loved one you have lost, I ask you to please consider a contribution to the Sisters Country Challenge in support of the planned Three Sisters patient room at Hospice House. Online donations can be made at http://www.partnersbend.org/campaign/ where you can also learn more about this important project.

Rob Corrigan, Sisters Country Challenge Committee