the nation’s oldest hospice • spring 2017 reflections …...dr. krall is well known for donning...

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IN THIS ISSUE: 3 Hospice of Cincinnati Medical Director explains palliative care vs hospice care. 4-5 Hospice of Cincinnati celebrates 40 years! Read how it all began. 8 Fernside alumni provide critical support. This year marks Hospice of Cincinnati’s 40 years of service to the community! We’re cele- brating our anniversary in this issue with an introduction to our new look and logo. There’s more anniversary news to come so stay tuned as we remember our past and look forward to future years of serving Greater Cincinnati. (See pages 4 and 5.) Dinner & Auction Friday, May 19 Cooper Creek Event Center Golf Tournament Monday, May 22 Kenwood Country Club For more information, please contact Tammy Rasey: [email protected] or 513-865-1621 or visit HospiceOfCincinnati.org/events.shtml. New Dinner Venue THE NATION’S FOURTH OLDEST HOSPICE • SPRING 2017 Reflections from Dr. William Krall “W hen I was training to be a physician, no one died [in a hospi- tal] without getting a full code,” says William Krall, MD, retired Hospice of Hamilton (part of Hospice of Cincinnati) physician. “Death was considered a failure.” As he reflects on his career and the changes he has seen in the treatment and attitudes of people at the end of life, he is grate- ful the focus now is on facilitating a good death through hospice care. “More physicians and patients today have a better understanding of what hospice involves,” he explains. “Years ago, we thought we could keep patients alive forever. Now there is a focus on learning when to be aggressive with treatment and when to shift the focus to com- fort measures.” Trained in internal medicine and pulmonary critical care, Dr. Krall ran a Mercy Health Physicians practice and was the Medical Director for the Hospice of Hamilton Inpatient Care Center. is busy, committed man was forced to take a break from most of the things he loved last March. A stroke caused by a particularly aggressive brain tumor forced Dr. Krall’s retirement. For now, treatment has halted further tumor growth. He looks forward to continuing to work with Hospice of Hamilton through volun- teer opportunities such as community speaking engagements and providing educational opportunities for professionals. Dr. Krall continues as a community leader in his hometowns of Hamilton and Fairfield, Ohio, and as chairman of the Hospice of Hamilton Advisory Council. He walks and fundraises at every Hamilton Hike for Hospice, emcees a yearly trivia contest hosted by Hospice of Hamilton and participates in other community fundraisers. He also plays Santa Claus and joins Hospice of Hamilton staff in caroling and visiting patients at the Inpatient Care Center, area long-term care cen- ters and hospitals. “ere is so much we [Hospice of Hamilton] can do for families and patients,” Dr. Krall notes. “e earlier the patient and their family are referred and begin care with us, the more control the patient can have in terms of making decisions.” Dr. Krall is well known for donning a Santa suit every Christmas and joining his staff in spreading good cheer to hospice and long-term care patients. Recently retired Medical Director of the Hospice of Hamilton Inpatient Care Center, William Krall, MD, is a respected leader in his hometowns of Hamilton and Fairfield.

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IN THIS ISSUE:

3 Hospice of Cincinnati Medical Director explains palliative care vs hospice care.

4-5 Hospice of Cincinnati celebrates 40 years! Read how it all began.

8 Fernside alumni provide critical support.

This year marks Hospice of Cincinnati’s 40 years of service to the community! We’re cele-brating our anniversary in this issue with an introduction to our new look and logo. There’s more anniversary news to come so stay tuned as we remember our past and look forward to future years of serving Greater Cincinnati. (See pages 4 and 5.)

Dinner & Auction Friday, May 19 Cooper Creek Event Center

Golf Tournament Monday, May 22 Kenwood Country Club

For more information, please contact Tammy Rasey: [email protected] or 513-865-1621 or visit HospiceOfCincinnati.org/events.shtml.

New Dinner Venue

THE NAT ION’S FOURTH OLDEST HOSP ICE • SPRING 2017

Reflections from Dr. William Krall “When I was training

to be a physician, no one died [in a hospi-tal] without getting a full code,” says William Krall, MD, retired Hospice of Hamilton (part of Hospice of Cincinnati) physician. “Death was considered a failure.” As he reflects on his career and the changes he has seen in the treatment and attitudes of people at the end of life, he is grate-ful the focus now is on facilitating a good death through hospice care.

“More physicians and patients today have a better understanding of what hospice involves,” he explains. “Years ago, we thought we could keep patients alive forever. Now there is a focus on learning when to be aggressive with treatment and when to shift the focus to com-fort measures.”

Trained in internal medicine and pulmonary critical care, Dr. Krall ran a Mercy Health Physicians practice and was the Medical Director for the Hospice of Hamilton Inpatient Care Center. This busy, committed man was forced to take a break from most of the things he loved last March. A stroke caused by a

particularly aggressive brain tumor forced Dr. Krall’s retirement. For now, treatment has halted further tumor growth. He looks forward to continuing to work with Hospice of Hamilton through volun-teer opportunities such as community speaking engagements and providing educational opportunities for professionals.

Dr. Krall continues as a community leader in his hometowns of Hamilton and Fairfield, Ohio, and as chairman of the Hospice of Hamilton Advisory Council. He walks and fundraises at every Hamilton Hike for Hospice, emcees a yearly trivia contest hosted by Hospice of Hamilton and participates in other community fundraisers. He also plays Santa Claus and joins Hospice of Hamilton staff in caroling and visiting patients at the Inpatient Care Center, area long-term care cen-ters and hospitals.

“There is so much we [Hospice of Hamilton] can do for families and patients,” Dr. Krall notes. “The earlier the patient and their family are referred and begin care with us, the more control the patient can have in terms of making decisions.”

Dr. Krall is well known for donning a Santa suit every Christmas and joining his staff in spreading good cheer to hospice and long-term care patients.

Recently retired Medical Director of the Hospice of Hamilton Inpatient Care Center, William Krall, MD, is a respected leader in his hometowns of Hamilton and Fairfield.

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Message from the CEO

We are proud to celebrate Hospice of Cincinnati’s 40th anniversary this year! While our world has changed in many ways over the last 40 years, our focus on meeting the

basic human need to experience compassionate, patient-focused end-of-life care remains the same.

Hospice of Cincinnati’s founders understood the importance of specialized, high quality end-of-life care and saw that our community

was not filling this need. They knew we could do better, and they recognized the critical responsibility of health care providers to pave the way. Their proactive collaboration to begin offering hospice services set the path for decades to come. (See page 4.)

I recently had the privilege of meeting Hospice of Cincinnati’s first Medical Director, Dr. Cornelia Dettmer. (See page 5.) As I listened to her talk about those early formative years, it became clear to me that our mission today is still true to our origin. Hospice of Cincinnati began as a community-focused, mission-driven organization. We’ve honored that focus during the last 40 years by expanding our programs and services so that all in our community who need our care might receive it.

Many leaders have carried this torch. Rebecca Bechhold, MD, for example, retired in 2015 after serving nearly 30 years – as a primary physician initially and later, as our Chief Medical Officer. Under her leadership, Hospice of Cincinnati grew from a small department at Bethesda Hospital to one of the largest and highest quality programs in the country.

In the next several issues, you’ll read more about our leaders, our growth and what’s next as we enter a new decade of serving our community.

We celebrate our 40th anniversary this year with a refreshed logo – symbolic of how our past intersects with our future. (See page 5.) While our “look” is changing, our mission remains the same. We hold as firmly to it as our founders did to their belief that our community deserved better end-of-life care. Their forward thinking continues to guide us today as we remain dedicated to creating the best possible and most meaningful end-of-life experience for all who need care and support in our community.

We are grateful to our founders for their vision in creating the organization we are today.

Warm Regards,

Sandra LobertPresident and CEO

OUR MISSIONHospice of Cincinnati creates the best possible and most meaningful end-of-life experience for all who need care and support in our community.

DID YOU KNOW…

Hospice of Cincinnati has consistently led the hospice industry—both locally and nationally—through many firsts and innovations.

Cincinnati’s first hospice Hospice of Cincinnati began in August 1977, just three years after the first U.S. hospice was formed. It is the fourth oldest hospice in the nation and the second largest in Ohio.

Cincinnati’s first inpatient hospice facility In 1981, Hospice of Cincinnati opened the city’s first inpatient care center, becoming only the fourth inpatient hospice facility in the nation. Today, Hospice of Cincinnati operates inpatient care centers in four Greater Cincinnati communities.

Comprehensive grief center The Goldstein Family Hospice of Cincinnati and Fernside Grief Center opened in 2011 as the first comprehensive grief center in Greater Cincinnati focusing on both adult and children’s grief.

Conversations of a Lifetime™ This nationally recognized initiative encourages earlier conversations between providers, patients and their families regarding goals and preferences for end-of- life care.

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Palliative care doesn’t always mean hospice by Manish Srivastava, MD, FAAHPM Medical Director, Hospice of Cincinnati Medical Director, TriHealth Palliative Medicine Fellow, American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Care

Palliative medicine is a relatively new field of med-icine that has grown exponentially in the last few

years. Most hospitals now offer a palliative medicine program in some form or another. We are also seeing the development of community-based palliative medi-cine programs, which offer similar services in patients’ homes and physician offices.

Still, many people confuse palliative care with hospice care. While there are similarities, they are not the same. This has been one of the barriers to people accepting palliative care. However, with more and more practitioners of palliative care emerging, the general public’s openness to accepting palliative care is also changing.

Like hospice, palliative care focuses on quality of life by providing emotional and spiritual support for patients and families, along with medications and other therapies to ease symptoms. A key difference from hospice care is that patients can use palliative care at any point in an illness without forgoing curative treatment. Hospice patients, on the other hand, have declined or are no longer responding to curative treatment and have chosen to live out their days with a focus on comfort over cure.

Since most people with serious illnesses are older, palliative care actually offers more care as needed, not less. Practitioners help patients explore the complex medical decisions they often face, then document their preferences. Besides focusing on physi-cal symptoms, practitioners also address the psychosocial and emotional aspects of the disease the patient—as well as the family—is undergoing.

Taking advantage of palliative care pays off for patients and families in many ways. In 2010, a randomized trial at Massachusetts General Hospital of 151 patients with metastatic lung cancer found that patients receiving early palliative care scored signifi-cantly higher on quality of life measures than those receiving standard care. They were also less likely to suffer from depression. Fewer chose aggressive end-of-life treatment like chemotherapy in their final weeks, yet they survived several months longer.

Other studies have found similar benefits, including improved pain and symptom management and an overall sense of well-being. Patients’ end-of-life preferences were better documented, and they were able to stay out of the hospital at the end of life. Palliative care is not just limited to end-of-life care. More benefits are seen when pallia-tive care is introduced early in the course of a disease.

Patients with serious illness or disease who understand the benefits of and differ-ences between palliative and hospice care can significantly increase their quality of life. This is true whether they continue on a curative path with palliative care or reach a point where hospice care may be more beneficial.

Dr. Srivastava was recently accredited as a fellow by the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Care.

Manish Srivastava, MD, FAAHPM

Asmus joins Hospice of Cincinnati and Fernside as Development OfficerLori Asmus has joined Hospice of Cincinnati and Fernside as Development Officer. She will help raise funds for both organizations by working with donors and helping to plan and implement special events. With more than 12 years of devel-opment experience in a long-term care setting, Asmus has a deep appreciation for the importance of compassionate, quality care for patients and their families at the end of life.

“I personally believe that it is not the number of days in your life but the life in your days that really matter,” Asmus notes. “I think the hospice philosophy gives people perspective to spend what precious time they have saying and shar-ing the things with loved ones that are important. I look forward to sharing with donors how their gift makes a difference to those served by Hospice of Cincinnati and Fernside.”

Lori Asmus brings experience and enthusiasm to Hospice of Cincinnati and Fernside in her new role as Development Officer.

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Hospice of Cincinnati turns 40 this year and will be celebrating in varied ways in the months to come. We acknowledge our anniversary in this issue by reflecting on our humble beginnings while simultaneously looking to the future with a refreshed logo.

Community unites with passion, purpose Hospice of Cincinnati developed and grew out of a diverse

group of service providers who worked collaboratively toward what was best for the community. Through each decade, Hospice has stayed true to its roots as a community service, con-tinuing to improve and expand programs for the benefit of the community.

A collaborative beginningA handful of community members gathered at Mt. St. Mary’s Seminary in January 1977 to discuss a gap in health care ser-vices in Greater Cincinnati: a lack of end-of-life care. The first hospice in the United States had just opened three years prior in New Haven, Connecticut. This group of clergy, physicians and business leaders began exploring the feasibility of opening a hospice in Cincinnati. Hospice of Cincinnati was incorporated in August 1977.

An overwhelming responseBy January 1979, nurses contracted through the Visiting Nurses Association and the Cincinnati Health Department began pro-viding palliative care to terminally ill patients and their families in their homes. They were supported by volunteers and clergy who donated their time. The newly formed Hospice of Cincinnati Board of Trustees expected to serve 50 patients the first year. To their surprise, they saw 50 patients the first month!

After a year of successfully providing in-home hospice care, Hospice of Cincinnati became a Medicare-certified home health agency and began planning an inpatient facility. Bethesda Oak Hospital offered two floors in the former Deaconess Building on Reading Road: one floor for a 16-bed unit; the other for offices. Hospice of Cincinnati opened its inpatient unit in April 1981, becoming the fourth inpatient hospice facility in the nation. In December of that year, Hospice of Cincinnati became a wholly owned subsidiary of Bethesda Hospitals.

How were they able to move so quickly from concept to real-ity? A passionate, cooperative and collaborative community. From the beginning, community health organizations, all area hospitals with a cancer center and religious groups representing different denominations worked together to ensure quality end-of-life care for Greater Cincinnatians.

Hospice of Cincinnati has continued to thrive and expand its programs based on community input while working closely with its many community partners.

Look for more of our story in future newsletters! You will read about our expansion throughout Cincinnati and how retired administrators—former Chief Medical Officer Rebecca Bechhold, MD, and former Executive Director Leigh Gerdsen—helped ensure the best possible end-of-life care in our community.

Gearing up to celebrate 40 years

Focus on community drives growth, impactSince caring for our first patient four decades ago, the needs of the community have consistently driven our decisions to improve and expand services. Today, our mission to create the best possible and most meaningful end-of-life experience for all who need care and support in our community continues to guide us. Here are some pivotal milestones from our 40 years of community impact.

1977Hospice of Cincinnati

established (first patient served in 1979)

1981Inpatient care center

opens at Bethesda Oak Hospital*

Hospice of Cincinnati becomes a wholly

owned subsidiary of Bethesda Hospitals

1996Mercy Hospice

combines with Hospice of Cincinnati

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First Medical Director rallies communityLook back 40 years, and you find someone with a special spark that ignited the creation of Hospice of Cincinnati. Someone with the energy that helped bring people together. Someone with the pas-sion that helped ensure patients and families had the support they needed for end-of-life care. That special person was Hospice of Cincinnati’s first Medical Director and President of the Board, Cornelia Dettmer, MD.

A radiation oncologist at Christ Hospital, Dr. Dettmer became concerned about what happened to her patients once they were considered terminal. “They weren’t getting any kind of end-of-life care because it simply wasn’t available,” she says. Originally a general practitioner, Dr. Dettmer had always prac-ticed medicine looking at the whole patient. “Hospice also looks at all facets of the patient: physical, mental, psychosocial and spiritual,” she says. “That really appealed to me.”

Dr. Dettmer and a small group of professionals who also were interested in the hospice concept met on Jan. 6, 1977, at Mt. St. Mary’s Seminary. “Our group grew in size to include every orga-nization that should have a stake in this,” Dr. Dettmer explains. “We all agreed that working together to open one hospice for the entire city was best, as it would not dilute our resources.”

After helping write goals and objectives, Dr. Dettmer (president) incorporated Hospice of Cincinnati in August 1977 along with Margaret Posey, MD (secretary) and James Hall, MD (treasurer). Attorney Frank Woodside guided them through the process.

“I felt like we had the support of the entire city,” Dr. Dettmer recalls. This was partly due to the more than 190 talks she gave to

continued on page 6

Gearing up to celebrate 40 years

Focus on community drives growth, impact1997

Freestanding inpatient care center opens in Blue Ash (Renamed

The Margret J. Thomas Inpatient Care Center in

2015)

2002Hospice of Hamilton

established as an affiliate of Hospice of

Cincinnati

Fernside merges with Hospice of Cincinnati

2011The Goldstein Family Hospice of Cincinnati and Fernside Grief

Center opens

2013Conversations of a Lifetime™ receives $2.3 million grant from Bethesda Inc.

and Catholic Health Initiatives to transform

end-of-life care in Greater Cincinnati

*Inpatient care centers also opened in Hamilton (1996), Western Hills (2002) and

Anderson (2006).

Logos past and presentHospice of Cincinnati’s refreshed logo honors the past by pre-serving its flower bouquet art, which has been the centerpiece of the logo for two decades. The bouquet distinguishes Hospice of Cincinnati from other local hospices, providing immediate brand recognition. The flowers are a visual assurance to patients and families that they are receiving care from the oldest and most experienced hospice in our region.

According to Chief Marketing Officer Janet Montgomery, “New, vibrant colors now infuse the flower bouquet to more dynamically represent who we are today as well as our vision for tomorrow.”

When the logo was created two decades ago, a committee directed designers to develop a logo that would feel “fresh and hopeful” and communicate “energy and life.” The flower art was inspired by the Picasso sketch “Bouquet with Hands.” The hand-drawn look aimed to represent the human side of hospice care. In refreshing the logo, Montgomery notes similar goals. “We wanted the new logo to celebrate life and to reflect hope and joy,” she explains.

The logo prior to the flower logo was also focused on com-municating hope, according to Cornelia Dettmer, MD, Hospice of Cincinnati’s first Medical Director. Here’s a look at Hospice of Cincinnati logos through the years.

2017Mid-90s to 2016

Through Mid-90s

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Living trusts: A win-win tool for giving by Mark W. Jordan, FLMI, CLU, ChFC Attorney at Law in Ohio and Kentucky

Donors desiring to avoid probate costs

and ensure a more effi-cient, immediate trans-fer of their assets upon death to designated heirs and beneficiaries should consider the benefits of a living trust. This trust vehicle can provide care and comfort for yourself, your spouse and other loved ones while also helping support the missions of Hospice of Cincinnati and Fernside.

What is a living trust?A living trust is any trust established during your lifetime. Unlike the testamentary trust, which is part of your Last Will and Testament and only goes into effect after your death, the living trust is established and funded while you’re alive. A living trust also is revocable, meaning you can change the trust terms, add or withdraw assets and even terminate the trust.

Often, donors fund living trusts with existing income-pro-ducing investments such as stocks, bonds and other securities. Donors designate a trustee to administer the trust. This can be a person, like your attorney, or an entity such as a bank trust department. The trustee handles all administrative duties con-cerning investments, including collecting dividends and interest as well as buying and selling stock and other property.

How does a living trust avoid probate costs?A testamentary trust requires a probate proceeding with most—if not all—assets going into the testamentary trust through pro-bate court. With a living trust, however, the title to property is transferred during your lifetime into the living trust. This means significant savings in court costs, executor’s fees and attorney’s fees.

How can a living trust help provide care and comfort?With appropriate authority in the trust document, the trustee of a funded living trust can handle all your financial affairs, thereby protecting, preserving and increasing your assets. A living trust will properly administer and distribute funds over decades for many different purposes: • For children until they are financially mature• For individuals needing extra help with financial matters• To protect from creditors• For a couple who does not want to burden their children with

estate matters• To provide for a favorite charity such as Hospice of Cincinnati

or Fernside

Living trusts provide flexibility and peace of mind as a tool that may more success-fully help you execute your wishes. For tax considerations and additional informa-tion on living trusts, consult your attorney.

Giving Ways

Including Hospice of Cincinnati or Fernside in your estate plans ensures care and support to future patients, families and the bereaved. If you would like more information on living trusts and estate planning or if you’d like to be added to our mailing list for upcoming financial planning events, please contact Lori Asmus at 513-246-9230 or [email protected].

Dettmer(continued from page 5)PTAs, women’s groups, physician groups, medical societies and local government agencies, explaining exactly what hospice care could do for patients and families.

As president, she helped convince Cincinnati “movers and shakers” to join the Hospice of Cincinnati Board. More impor-tantly, Dr. Dettmer obtained an unrestricted $75,000 grant from the Greater Cincinnati Foundation (at that time, the largest amount ever given) for operating funds. Hospice of Cincinnati could begin seeing patients.

After a year of providing in-home hospice care, Hospice of Cincinnati’s board decided to begin a capital campaign to open

an inpatient facility. Dr. Dettmer worked closely with the board to meet the campaign goal of $750,000. However, she never saw the inpatient facility open. In 1980, Dr. Dettmer had the oppor-tunity to head the new cancer center at Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater, Florida.

She reflects on her role in getting Hospice of Cincinnati started. “It’s one of the highlights of my career. I feel such a tremendous amount of satisfaction for the role I played,” she says. “There were 11 employees when I left. I feel like a proud mama when I look at how much Hospice of Cincinnati has grown.”

Today, Hospice of Cincinnati employs more than 550 employees and cares for an average of 700 patients every day.

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Help support Hospice of Cincinnati and Fernside every time you shop! Kroger Rewards cardEnrollment expires on March 31 every year. After April 1 you must re-enroll your card under its organization name or number. Hospice of Cincinnati’s number is 82546; Fernside is 82595. To sign up if you are new to the Kroger website:

• Have your Kroger Plus Card handy (or plan to sign up for a new one digitally)

• Go to https://www.kroger.com/communityrewards

• Choose “Create Account” • Follow prompts to create account (email, pass-

word selection and primary store selection) and register your Plus Card

• At top right, click “My Account” in orange box • Scroll to bottom under “Community Rewards” • Enter Hospice of Cincinnati or Fernside’s orga-

nization number (above) and click search• Click button for Hospice of Cincinnati or

Fernside• Click “Enroll”

To sign up if you already have a Kroger website account and are enrolling/re-enrolling your card:

• Go to https://www.kroger.com/communityrewards

• Sign in to your account • At top right, click “My Account” in orange box • Scroll to bottom under “Community Rewards” • Enter Hospice of Cincinnati or Fernside’s orga-

nization number (above) and click search• Click “Hospice of Cincinnati” or “Fernside”

button• Click “Enroll”

AmazonSmile rewards• Go to www.smile.amazon.com• Sign in with your Amazon user id and pass-

word. If you do not have an Amazon account, click “Create Account.” You will enter your email address, choose a password and click “Create Account.”

• In the “Pick your own charitable organiza-tion” box, type “Hospice of Cincinnati” and select “Hospice of Cincinnati Incorporated.” (For Fernside, you will type “Fernside” in the “Choose your own charitable organization” box).

• You are now registered. PLEASE REMEMBER: You must use the www.smile.amazon.com when you shop for the charita-ble contribution to count. It has all the same features and items as the typical amazon.com website.

Pittsburgh taps COL team for advance care planning expertise Project Administrator Barb Rose and Advance Care Planning Liaison Colleen Kuderer are currently work-ing as content advisors on a year-long collaboration sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). The Palliative and Supportive Institute Advance Care Planning Learning Collaborative includes faculty and staff from UPMC and eight of its primary care practices. “The plan is to help the Collaborative implement advance

care planning education/train-ing similar to what has been done at TriHealth through Conversations of a Lifetime,” Kuderer explains.

Rose and Kuderer will visit Pittsburgh two or three times, par-ticipate in monthly collaborative calls and provide content expertise for implement-ing advance care planning in primary care.

“We are thrilled for the invitation to work with such a well-respected academic medical center,” Rose says.

Sip and savor at this year’s Gourmet Melodies Enjoy a delicious evening out at the 2017 Gourmet Melodies benefiting Hospice of Cincinnati.

Sip on fine wine and craft beer, savor delicious gourmet hors d’ oeuvres and listen to some of Cincinnati’s best musical groups. Guests also can bid on several exciting silent auction items, or enjoy a spin on Carol Ann’s Carousel at the Anderson Pavilion at Smale Riverfront Park.

Hospice of Cincinnati is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. This is a wonderful opportunity to honor all the patients and families who have benefited from Hospice of Cincinnati's personalized, compassionate care during the past four decades.

WHO: More than 600 guests supporting the wonderful work of Hospice of Cincinnati

WHAT: Gourmet Melodies, a benefit for Hospice of Cincinnati

WHEN: Saturday, Aug. 127 to 11 p.m.

WHERE: Anderson Pavilion at Smale Riverfront Park, Downtown Cincinnati

Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available. Individual tickets are $100. For more information, please contact Tammy Rasey at 513-865-1621 or [email protected], or visit HospiceOfCincinnati.org/events.shtml.

ConversationsOfaLifetime.org

A variety of music groups—like My Brother’s Keeper—are scattered about the venue for your enjoyment.

Delicious gourmet hors d’ oeuvres are available along with a selection of fine wine and craft beers.

Published by Hospice of Cincinnati4360 Cooper Road, Suite 300Cincinnati, OH 45242513-891-7700© 2017 Hospice of Cincinnati, Inc.All rights reserved.HospiceOfCincinnati.org

Hospice of Cincinnati issponsored by Bethesda Inc.in collaboration withTriHealth and Mercy Health.

Printed on Recycled Paper

Non-profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDCincinnati, OhioPermit No. 9177

PIT Crew provides critical support NASCAR racers would be lost without the support of their

Pit Crew—and so would Fernside. Fernside’s Philanthropists in Training (PIT Crew) are alumni of the program who choose to give back to children and families. These high school volun-teers easily relate to children and teens, who are understandably anxious. PIT Crew members volunteer at Fernside’s annual sum-mer camp, monthly orientation for new families and at evening programs.

“My favorite part of volunteering at Fernside is getting to help kids who went through some of the same hard times as me,” explains Keegan Graham, high school freshman. “Fernside really helped me when I was younger, so being able to give back and help kids with the same grief is a great experience.”

PIT Crew volunteers guide families through Fernside’s space during new family orientation, pointing out the expressive art, pho-tos and quotes that cover

the walls. Along the way, the volunteers share their initial feelings about com-ing to Fernside, explaining how the program has helped them cope with their losses and how much it means to them to be volunteers.

“Through volunteering at Fernside, I am able to show others an organiza-tion that has made a huge impact on my life,” says Maggie Verst, high school

senior. “It gives me the chance to not only help those who have experienced grief similar to mine, but also to give back to an organization that has helped me grow and prosper into the young adult I am today.”

For the parents and guardians, these young volunteers are a testament to all that’s great about Fernside. For Fernside, they are all this and more. “They are a tremendous asset to our volun-teer program and an investment in Fernside’s future,” Vicky Ott, Fernside Executive Director, says proudly.

The Goldstein Family Hospice of Cincinnati and Fernside Grief Center is the first compre-hensive bereavement center in Greater Cincinnati focusing on both adult and children’s grief. Services are free and available to all. For more information about our services and how to register, please call Hospice of Cincinnati at 513-891-7700, Fernside at 513-246-9140, or visit HospiceOfCincinnati.org/grief_support.shtml.

A Fernside alum and PIT Crew member, Tommy takes new families on a tour during orientation night. He points out artwork, photos and quotes from children that help them express their feelings.

Maggie is very thankful for the help she received from Fernside when her mother passed away. She appreciates the opportunity to volunteer and help others here because Fernside has made such a big impact in her life.

Where’s the donor list? Looking for the list of tribute gifts? To save both money and trees, Hospice of Cincinnati has moved its list of tribute gifts—now numbering more than 3,000 a year—to our website. Please visit HospiceOfCincinnati.org/donorlist to thank the many who have donated to Hospice of Cincinnati. The list will be updated quarterly and archived for viewing.