lives every day, reminding us all that we truly are better together. Scan the QR code to watch Rich’s testimonial and put your gift to work immediately.
Your contribution to Bluegrass Care Navigators can help:
$250 support grief counseling sessions
$200 provide a day of hospice care
$100 meet a patient’s weekly supply needs
$50 support an Integrative Medicine session
$25 offer essential comfort items
Together, with your support, we can continue to provide compassionate care to thousands of people each year.
Fresh Veggies, Fresh Smiles: A Special Visit from the FARMacy Truck
Thank you to community partner, Black Soil KY, for bringing the FARMacy Mobile Market truck to the PACE center. Our participants were able to shop for fresh, local produce at no cost. Each participant (even those who weren’t there that day) received a large bag of fresh veggies from the FARMacy truck.
More Than $17,000 rasied in GoodGiving Challenge—A Record-Breaking Success!
We’re thrilled to share that, thanks to your generosity, we raised over $17,000 in the 2024 GoodGiving Challenge—our highest total yet! This incredible achievement is a testament to your compassion and dedication, which enables Bluegrass Care Navigators to continue providing expert care to patients and families in our community. Your contribution truly makes a difference, ensuring that no one faces life’s toughest moments alone. Thank you for being part of this important work!
Making Compassion Possible in
the
Face of Disaster
When devastating floods hit Eastern Kentucky, Bluegrass Care Navigators never wavered in our mission to care for patients and families. Many of our patients, their loved ones, and even our own team members were directly affected. But #TeamBCN stepped up—delivering essential supplies like buckets, mops, and disinfectants to support cleanup efforts immediately.
Thanks to your generosity, we can continue providing compassionate care, no matter the circumstances. Your support ensures we’re always ready when our communities need us most. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of our patients, families and team members!
Partners in Care: Grants That Make a Lasting Impact
Bluegrass Care Navigators is honored to have received generous grants in recent months from:
Thompson Charitable Foundation for the Care for All Fund to ensure every Eastern Kentucky individual eligible for hospice care receives our services, regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay.
The RC Durr Foundation to support pediatric hospice care and grief services for children in Northern Kentucky.
The Good Samaritan Fund to purchase medical equipment to improve patient comfort and mobility for in-home hospice patients.
These vital contributions help us provide compassionate care to those who need it most. We are deeply grateful to these organizations for partnering with us to make a meaningful impact in the lives of our patients and families. Thank you for believing in our mission!
Expanding Community Grief Care and Integrative Medicine
Saint Joseph Hospital and Saint Joseph East have awarded Bluegrass Care Navigators (BCN) $50,000 to support grief services and integrative medicine programs. This funding will help BCN provide essential care to more than 1,000 diverse individuals across Central Kentucky and address significant health challenges in 2025.
Our Community Grief Services include individual and group counseling, Camp Hope for children and adults, and crisis response. With this grant, we anticipate being able to serve more than 800 individuals through community grief counseling.
Our Integrative Medicine offerings—music, art, massage therapy, and mindfulness—expand to be able to support approximately 300 patients, enhancing physical and mental health. By integrating evidence-based practices, BCN anticipates improvements in patient outcomes such as reduced anxiety and enhanced emotional expression.
“We are deeply grateful for this funding that will help ensure that our patients and their families in Central Kentucky continue to receive holistic, patient-centered care through integrative medicine therapies, such as art, music and massage therapy, and that anyone in need can continue to access our community-based grief care services. Together, we are creating a meaningful impact in the community and improving the mental health and well-being of those we serve,” said Liz Fowler, president and CEO of BCN.
BCN was one of eight local nonprofit organizations selected to receive grant funding to improve well-being and health equity within the Lexington area.
This opportunity was part of the CommonSpirit Health Community Health Improvement Grants program. CHI Saint Joseph Health, Saint Joseph East and Saint Joseph Hospital are part of CommonSpirit Health, which was created in 2019 when Catholic Health Initiatives and Dignity Health came together to create a national health system.
Frankfort Toyota Drives for a Difference
Thank you to the team at Frankfort Toyota for their generous year-end donation. The dealership under the leadership of owner Mike Tewell and General Manager Eric Clark (pictured) has long supported the vital work of Bluegrass Care Navigators in the Frankfort region. Thank you for making a meaningful difference to our hospice patients and families.
Compassion and Care When It Mattered Most
April and her family will never forget the care and compassion they received from Bluegrass Care Navigators. When her mother-in-law became a patient with BCN, April’s family experienced firsthand the expert medical care and unwavering emotional support that BCN provides. BCN was there from the very first night—arriving quickly to provide guidance, support, and necessary supplies. Throughout their journey, BCN nurses answered every call, ensuring comfort and reassurance. In her final hours, a chaplain arrived to pray with the family, offering peace and solace in a difficult moment. Scan the QR code to watch their heartfelt story.
Navigating Dementia with Compassion and Support
Randy Conn has never let obstacles define him. After a stroke at 32 left him legally blind, he embraced woodworking and focused on what he could do rather than his limitations. But his diagnosis with Lewy Body Dementia brought new challenges— cognitive decline, mood changes, and physical hardships.
Determined to maintain his dignity and quality of life, Randy and his wife, Karen, turned to Bluegrass Care Navigators for palliative care, hospice services, and grief support.
“The team at BCN has been phenomenal,” Randy said. “They’ve helped me manage my pain, given me tools to cope with the cognitive decline, and supported Karen with respite care. It makes me feel better that my family is getting the care they need, too.”
Randy initially received palliative care, transitioning to hospice as his condition worsened. With BCN’s expert support, his health stabilized, making him one of the rare patients to return to palliative care. Through every stage, BCN has not only cared for Randy but also provided vital support to Karen and their children.
“Hospice doesn’t just support the patient; they support the
youtube.com/watch?v=fCtGdwwQrKM or scan the QR code
A Special Thank You to these Community Partners who helped us Deliver
Joy
During the Holiday Season
Republic Bank for generously sponsoring Thanksgiving meals for hospice patients at our Bluegrass Hospice Care Center at UK HealthCare and scatter beds throughout hospitals in Lexington. Your continued support ensures our volunteers can deliver warmth and nourishment on Thanksgiving Day and makes a profound difference in the lives of our patients and families. We’re grateful for your partnership in this meaningful gesture!
Hallway Feeds and their Employee Assistance Fund helped us deliver a delicious holiday meal to our patients and families at our Bluegrass Hospice Care Center at UK HealthCare and inpatient units in Lexington. In addition, we provided each patient and family with a festive blanket that brought joy and comfort through the holidays. We appreciate the team at Hallway Feeds for helping us make the season bright for our patients and families again this year!
Save-A-Lot, our community partners, and generous individual donors in Southeastern Kentucky who came together to support 170 patients and families with meal boxes for Thanksgiving and Christmas. These thoughtfully prepared boxes included ham, dressing, mac and cheese, canned goods, and all the essentials for a traditional holiday feast.
Woodford, Kelli, Ford, Greer and Julie Webb, of Lexington, Ky., who extended the holiday spirit to the Greg and Noreen Wells Bluegrass Hospice Care Center. Patients, their families, and staff were treated to delicious meals donated and enjoyed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day, spreading warmth and joy during the holiday season.
Find Support Through Our Grief Groups
Grief is a journey, and you don’t have to walk it alone. Bluegrass Care Navigators offers a variety of grief support groups tailored to different needs, including general loss, spouse/partner loss, and child loss. Whether in-person or virtual, these groups provide a safe space for connection and healing.
Explore our upcoming grief support opportunities by visiting our calendar at bgcarenav.org/grief-care.
Celebrating Dr. Lena Bakun on National Philanthropy Day 2024
We are proud to recognize Dr. Lena Bakun from our Hazard Region as our 2024 National Philanthropy Day honoree! We celebrate Lena for her incredible philanthropic spirit, unwavering support and her commitment to ensuring that those in her community have access to the same highquality hospice care available in other parts of the Commonwealth. From her leadership in organizing the annual Howlin’ Halloween Bash to her impactful service on our Board of Directors, Lena has played an essential role in furthering the mission of Bluegrass Care Navigators. We are grateful for her many years of service and philanthropic support.
Lena is a true champion for enhancing the expert, connected care that BCN provides to the Bluegrass region, ensuring that this vital support is available to all who need it.
Now Enrolling Participants in Bluegrass Dementia Care
Bluegrass Dementia Care is a new program that imagines a future where those with dementia and their caregivers receive seamless, compassionate care. Bluegrass Dementia Care provides a standard approach that
• provides comprehensive care coordination and caregiver education,
• improves the quality of life for people living with dementia and their caregivers,
• reduces strain on their unpaid caregivers, and
• offers a 24/7 support line.
With support from Bluegrass Dementia Care people living with dementia can remain safely in their homes and communities. For more information about the Bluegrass Dementia Care program, please contact us at 877.439.0262.
Bluegrass PACE Care Featured on KET Special on “Aging and Healthcare”
Earlier in the fall, KET sat down with two of our wonderful PACE participants, Cecil and Judith Hamm, as well as PACE Executive Director, Chad Helton, for a feature story for their “Aging & Healthcare” series. The series explores the barriers to healthcare and the factors contributing to the poor health status of senior citizens in Kentucky as well as information about available resources and services around our state.
Visit bit.ly/41cZnbc or scan the QR code to watch KET’s special report on Bluegrass PACE Care.
Innovation Meets Compassion: 3M Helps Launch Two Resource Closets for Hospice Patients
For years, the 3M team has helped Bluegrass Care Navigators provide compassionate care to families in the Cynthiana region and now in Lexington. Continuing this tradition, 3M recently provided funds to establish Resource Closets in Cynthiana and Lexington for hospice patients and their caregivers.
These Resource Closets will foster dignity, respect and compassion to hospice patients while easing the burden on caregivers. The closets will house items, such as bedding, socks, fans and other items designed to make caregiving easier on family members as they care for their loved ones.
Honoring Children’s Grief Awareness Day with Compassion and Support
On November 21, Bluegrass Care Navigators joined community partners to recognize Children’s Grief Awareness Day, reaffirming our commitment to supporting grieving children and families. The event shed light on the statistic that one in nine children in Kentucky will experience the loss of a parent, caregiver, or sibling before adulthood.
BCN teamed up with the Kentucky Center for Grieving Children and Families to host an event that created space for children to express their grief and remember their loved ones. Families came together to share a meal and participate in meaningful memory activities, including creating luminaries with messages for lost loved ones. These moments provide grieving children with a sense of connection and remind them they can continue to honor loved ones even after they are gone.
At Bluegrass Care Navigators, we believe that no child should grieve alone. Our bereavement team provides free grief support to anyone in the community, not just the families of our patients. Whether through one-on-one counseling, support groups, or special events, we are here to walk alongside children and adults on their grief journeys. If you or someone you know needs grief care, we are here—today and always. Call 855.492.0812 to learn more or to schedule your appointment.
Save the Date for Camp Hope 2025!
Bluegrass Care Navigators invites children and teens coping with loss to join us for Camp Hope, a free, one-day bereavement camp offering healing activities, peer support, and fun in nature.
Register for Camp Hope at bgcarenav.org/camp-hope
Southeast Kentucky
Saturday, June 7, 2025
Bluegrass Care Navigators
Hazard Regional Office
Central Kentucky Saturday, June 14, 2025
Central KY Riding for Hope within the Kentucky Horse Park
Save the Date for BCN Radio Days!
Join us for Bluegrass Care Navigators Radio Days in London, Pikeville, and Hazard! Tune in to hear from our dedicated team members about why they love their work, heartfelt stories from families we’ve served, and how our expert, compassionate care makes a difference in your community. Listen on air or online and give at:
London | May 21, 2025 | WANV 96.7 FM bgcarenav.org/london-radio-day
Pikeville | June 24, 2025 | WDHR 93.1 FM bgcarenav.org/pikeville-radio-day
Hazard | August 5, 2025 | WSGS 101.1 FM bgcarenav.org/hazard-radio-day
Listeners will also have the opportunity to give directly to support patients and families in their area. Stay tuned for more details—don’t miss this chance to be part of something truly special!
