Community Hospice & Palliative Care Officially Opens For Business in 11 New Counties January 1, 2018

On January 1, 2018, Community Hospice & Palliative Care, one of the top five non-profit hospice organizations in the U.S., will open for business and begin accepting patients in 11 new counties including Alachua, Bradford, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Putnam, Suwannee, and Union. These counties are part of the area defined as 3A, north-central Florida.

In 2017, Community Hospice & Palliative Care was selected by the Florida Agency of Health Care Administration (AHCA) to provide service to these 11 additional counties, while still providing life-changing services to the five northeast Florida counties it has served since its founding in 1979. The five founding counties of 4A include Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau, and St. Johns are supported by more than 900 employees and 1,000 volunteers, assisting 1,600 patients each day to live better with advanced illness – at home, in long-term care and assisted living facilities, in hospitals and eight inpatient care centers.

“I’m thrilled to be leading our expansion into 3A because my neighbors now have a choice when it comes to advanced illness and end-of-life care,” says Belena “Billie” Adkins, RN, BSN, CHPN, 3A Regional Director and native of Baker County. Adkins began her career at Community Hospice & Palliative Care in 2004 and is a board certified hospice and palliative care nurse, caring for patients wherever they call home. “Our compassionate and innovative care will be provided to the community-at-large by fellow residents. Our new launch into 3A is neighbor helping neighbor and we’ll be there 24/7 when they need us.”

In addition to the four levels of adult hospice care as defined by Medicare, Community Hospice & Palliative Care will also provide:

• Advanced Care Planning
• Caregiver Education and Support
• Grief and bereavement support for up to 13 months
• Integrative and complementary therapies such as music therapy, pet therapy, etc.
• Palliative care (advanced illness symptom management)
• Pediatric palliative care, hospice care, and bereavement camp
• Veterans programs
• Volunteer involvement

“We look forward to bringing these and many more programs and services to the residents of 3A,” says President and CEO Susan Ponder-Stansel. “We are here to get to know them, to listen to them and ensure we provide our neighboring patients and families with the best care possible. We want to be the choice for compassionate care at the time in life when they need us the most.”

A ribbon cutting for The Community Hospice & Palliative Care of Putnam County office at 5111 Crill Road in Palatka will take place Friday, January 12, 2018 from 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. The Community Hospice & Palliative Care of Columbia County office will open later just a few months later in 2018.

Please visit our website at CommunityHospice.com to learn more, join our team or take the self-assessment. For more information call 800-274-6614.

About Community Hospice & Palliative Care

Established in 1979, Community Hospice & Palliative Care is an innovative national leader in palliative and hospice care, as well as providing programs and services to meet the diverse needs of the communities it serves. During its nearly 40-year history, Community Hospice & Palliative Care has served nearly 200,000 adults and children in Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties, and has now expanded its service area to include 11 counties in north-central Florida. Through the support of more than 900 employees and 1,000 volunteers, the organization helps approximately 1,600 patients per day to live better with advanced illness – at home, in long-term care and assisted living facilities, in hospitals and at its eight inpatient care centers. The organization is committed to improving the quality of life for patients and their families and to be the compassionate guide for end-of-life care in our communities. No one is ever denied care due to an inability to pay. To learn more about the support and services of Community Hospice & Palliative Care, visit CommunityHospice.com.

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