Journeys

A newsletter for friends and families of Hospice of the North Country

It’s about how you live... Spring 2012

Volunteers Needed

Volunteers are needed to help with the planning phase of both the 7th Annual Frank Davio Memorial Golf Tour-nament (June 29th) and the 17th Annual Carol Wallet Golf Tournament (July 14th). If you are interested in volunteering for either of these events, please call 483.3200 and ask for Amanda.

Hospice of the North Country Highlights

Clinton County 358 Tom Miller Road

Plattsburgh, New York 12901 518.561.8465

Franklin County 104 Park Street

Malone, New York 12953 518.483.3200

Save the Date! Annual Dinner and Volunteer Appreciation Event

Please join us for Hospice of the North Country’s Annual Dinner and Volunteer Appreciation Event on Saturday, May 5, 2012 at the Rainbow Banquet Hall in Altona, New York. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will start at 6:00 PM. Dinner will be served at 6:45 PM with program to follow.

All are welcome to attend...please call 561.8465 for ticket prices and more information.

As a social worker at Hospice of the North Country, I work in col-laboration with our other clinical and administrative staff members to provide support to patients and their families in numerous ways. Some of the services I am able to provide include assistance in accessing commu-nity resources (such as obtaining Lifeline or Meals on Wheels), filling out paperwork (such as Medicaid/Medicare applications or a Health Care Proxy), and providing support through counseling for those individuals who may be having a difficult time coping with life-limiting illness or the thought of losing a loved one.

I am often asked, “How can you do that job? Isn’t it depressing?”

It is actually just the opposite. For the first time in my career, I can leave

at the end of a work day feeling like I have made a difference in some-

one’s life. Through my experiences with Hospice, I have been blessed

with the opportunity to meet many amazing individuals who have wel-

comed me into their home and have treated me as though I were a part

of their family. It is a true blessing to have helped to guide both the pa-

tients and their families through their end-of-life journey. The most im-

portant thing I have learned from these individuals- something I never

would have found in a textbook- is “It’s about how you live…”.

A Hospice Social Worker...Offering Support to Our Patients and Their Loved Ones

Jessica Dumas, seen below with Malone pa-tient Emily Welch, gives us a glimpse at what a social worker does for our patients and their loved ones.

Written by Jessica Dumas

From the Chief Executive Officer Kent W. Brooks

Thank you to those who made personal contributions through the United Way for Hospice of the North Country, SEFA and memorial donations. We appreciate your kindness and continued support!

We would like to acknowledge organizations in the community

that have raised money for Hospice of the North Country in the

Fall/Winter of 2011 and January and February of 2012.

Ausable Valley Booster Club

Bare Hill Correctional Facility

Malone Telegram

Back Porch Band

Peru Lions Club

Knights of Columbus #255

Seton Catholic Central

Light Up A Life 2011- Thanks:

Carol Allen and the Vensel Family

Clinton County Board of Realtors, Champlain Centre

North Mall, Karen & Dan Hickey, the Wing girls, Lois

Bousquet Brown, Nancy Baker, all the volunteers who

manned the table at the mall throughout the month of

December, HONC volunteers and staff members and

all of those who donated to the campaign!

We are proud to report that the campaign took in over

$40,000 again this year! Thank you for your support!

Two Butterfly Releases. Two Opportunities to Honor A Loved One!

The Butterfly is a universal symbol of change, resurrection, transformation, celebration,

young love and the soul.

Plattsburgh Memorial Butterfly Release Saturday, June 2, 2012

11:00 AM Melissa Penfield Park

Malone Memorial Butterfly Release Saturday, June 9, 2012

10:00 AM Malone Recreational Park/State Street Pavilion

Please join us for our Annual Memorial Butterfly Re-leases. Each year we simultaneously release Monarch butterflies to honor or memorialize loved ones. This is an extremely touching event that brings families and loved ones together. This is not only for those who have had hospice services. This event is open to the public and any person wishing to participate can purchase and release a butterfly.

We will begin taking reservations for butterflies on May 1, 2012. Pre-purchasing butterflies is strongly encour-aged as there will be a limited amount available at each event. Please call 518.483.3200 to learn more about the Malone event, and 518.561.8465 to learn more about the Plattsburgh event.

We are always looking for new volunteers! If you are interested in becoming a patient, office or event volun-teer, please contact Julie in Plattsburgh at 518.561.8465 or Jessica in Malone at 518.483.3200.

In Motion Physical Therapy

First Congregational Church

& Society—Malone

Della Toyota Scion

Perrywinkles Fine Jewelry

First Presbyterian Church

Holy Family Council #7215

I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the paid staff

who are on our team here at Hospice of the North Country, Inc.

We have right around three dozen staff members that serve

those at the end-of-life here in the North Country. They work

from one or both of our offices in Plattsburgh and Malone.

Those from the Nursing and Family Support departments work

directly with the patients. Others work in an administrative

role to keep things functioning behind the scenes. Our front-

line direct care staff are constantly striving to learn new things

that will allow them to serve our patients more efficiently and

effectively.

Our managers and leaders work hard to develop their skills in

order that we can grow as an agency, both in the number of

patients we serve as well as in the level of quality of our care.

They also work hard to ensure that we serve our staff to the

best of our ability.

We are made up of some exceptional people, with a wide vari-

ety of talents and abilities, who do good work with great care.

These people make us who we are and I would like to thank

each of them for the opportunity to work with them on a daily

basis.

Hospice of the North Country is a partner agency with the United Way of the Adirondack Region, Inc.

Life at Hospice of the North Country

Hospice of the North Country Welcomes New Medical Director!

We would like to welcome Dr. Deborah B. Lang as our new Medical Director. Dr. Lang graduated from University of Vermont College of Medicine Burlington VT in 2000, and is currently employed at CVPH medical center as a hospitalist. Dr. Lang is an American board of Hospice and Palliative medicine certified member since 2007. In her spare time Dr. Lang enjoys traveling, softball, volleyball, alpine skiing and scuba diving. “We are excited about the fact that Dr. Lang has joined our team. She is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the field of Hospice and Palliative Care and we are really fortunate to have her involved with our organization,” says HONC Chief Executive Officer Kent W. Brooks.

Pictured above are Clinton County Board of Realtors member, Mary Fry and Hospice of the North Country Chief Executive Officer, Kent W. Brooks. Ms. Fry is presenting a check for $23,813.51, funds raised from the annual Clinton County Board of Realtors Auction held in October of 2011.

Pictured above is Francesca Ches-brough, RN Case Manager in Malone, at the Alice Hyde Medical Center Community Health Fair in September 2011.

Pictured above left to right are Malone Volunteers Birdie Leavitt, Terry Gumbus and HONC Chief Executive Officer, Kent W. Brooks. The three are hard at work labeling some 4,000 plus newsletters.

The Junior class at Seton Catholic took up a penny collection and raised $537.85 for Hospice of the North Country. Pictured left to right are Julian Breyette, Vice-Principal Mary Forbes, Erick Zeimer, Alexis Persson, Brian Murray and Student Council Advisor Shawn Turner.

Pictured above are HONC Director of Patient Services Sherry Schoon-maker, RN, Ausable Varsity Basketball Team members Aus-tin Depo and Brody Douglass, and Coach Jamie Douglass. The Team raised $1,000 in memory of E. Lucille Coolidge.

NON-PROFIT ORG. US POSTAGE

PAID

PLATTSBURGH, NY

PERMIT NO. 34

358 Tom Miller Road Plattsburgh, New York 12901 Visit us on the web at www.hospicenc.org

Board of Directors

Cindie Gardner PRESIDENT

Raeanne McLaughlin

VICE-PRESIDENT

Rose Pandozy SECRETARY

Tom Rennell TREASURER

Debbi Barber

Michelle Denny

Judge Patrick McGill

Tom Conlin

Joanne Swiesz

Ginny Cuttaia

Mary Goddeau

Rebecca Preve

William Meconi

Medical Directors

Deborah Lang, MD

Christopher Badger, MD

John Homer, MD

Wouter Rietsema, MD

2012 Events

“Make the Flower Bloom” May

Hospice of the North Country Annual Dinner and Volunteer Appreciation Event

Saturday, May 5, 2012 Rainbow Banquet Hall, Altona

Plattsburgh Memorial Butterfly Release

Saturday, June 2, 2012 Melissa Penfield Park, Plattsburgh

Malone Memorial Butterfly Release

Saturday, June 9, 2012 Malone Recreational Park

7th Annual Frank Davio Memorial Golf Tournament

Friday, June 29, 2012 Malone Golf Club

17th Annual Carol Wallett Memorial Golf Tournament

Saturday, July 14, 2012 North Country Golf Club-Rouses Point

6th Annual Hot Rods for Hospice

Saturday, August 4, 2012 8 Ball Billiards Café– Plattsburgh

Light Up A Life 2012

Month of December– Champlain Centre North-Plattsburgh

28th Ecumenical Christmas Concert Sunday, December 2, 2012

St. Joseph’s Church–Malone