BCN Offers Team Members Fully-Scholarshipped Nursing Degree through Midway University
Bluegrass Care Navigators is proud to announce that four of its team members have been selected to participate in Kentucky’s first hybrid nursing program at Midway University, marking an exciting step forward in advancing nursing education and healthcare excellence across the region. Through a collaboration with Midway and the Council on Postsecondary Education, BCN team members were selected to receive a full scholarship from BCN that covers tuition, books and supplies.
This year’s scholarship recipients are (pictured from top left to bottom right) Jennifer Lyon, Susan Howard, Kaitlyn Shepherd, and Deshawn Price.
“During my senior year of high school, my teacher encouraged us to create a book of goals, and I wrote that I wanted to become a critical care nurse. After becoming a mom, I chose to put this dream on hold, but thanks to the incredible support from BCN, I now have the chance to turn that dream into reality. I’m deeply grateful not just for the scholarship, but also for the encouragement of my coworkers every step of the way.”
—Jennifer Lyon, CMA, Lexington
“I became a mom at a young age and had to put my degree on hold. This scholarship truly feels like a blessing because it means I don’t have to choose between providing for my family and finally following my heart to pursue a nursing degree.”
—Kaitlyn Shepherd, CNA, Hazard
“Becoming a nurse has been my dream since I was 14, but life circumstances and self-doubt held me back for years. Receiving this scholarship truly changes everything for me, and I can’t imagine pursuing any other path than nursing. I am deeply grateful that Team BCN recognized my potential and supported my dreams.”
—Susan Howard, CNA, Barbourville
“My grandmother always said I have a heart for helping other people, and after 24 years as a CNA, I still dreamed of becoming a nurse. Five kids later and with BCN’s support, I’m finally able to pursue the next step of my career and show my kids that if you believe in yourself and never give up, nothing can hold you back from reaching your goals.”
—Deshawn Price, CNA, Lexington
Patients and Caregivers Recognize BCN for Top Hospice Care Nationwide
Bluegrass Care Navigators has been named a 2025 Hospice CAHPS Honors Award recipient by MatrixCare. The Hospice Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) exclusively recognizes high-performing hospice agencies that continuously deliver quality care as measured by patient and caregiver satisfaction surveys.
To be considered for this award, the hospice agency must have scored above the MatrixCare National Score for the Willingness to Recommend question. If that criterion is met, performance is evaluated utilizing a set of 24 additional quality indicator measures. These scores are then compared on a question-by-question basis to a national performance score calculated from survey data from all partnering hospices included in the MatrixCare Hospice CAHPS database.
BCN’s Hospice Team Helps Couple Say “I Do”
When Ted and Kathy came to Bluegrass Care Navigators, they were facing the challenges of serious illness and caregiving at home. Through the compassionate, patient-centered care of our hospice team, they found more than just medical support. Our team helped them fulfill a longtime dream. After more than two decades together, Ted and Kathy were married on June 26 in a heartwarming ceremony at our Bluegrass Hospice Care Center at UK Good Samaritan Hospital.
“It was 25 years coming because I asked her a long, long time ago,” Ted said. “She said yes, but we just never got
After Ted was admitted to the hospital earlier in June, a physician asked if they were married. Ted and Kathy said they wanted to but didn’t know how to do the paperwork or the other details since Ted was in the hospital. The physician helped fast-track the license, and our hospice team stepped in to handle every detail – cake, flowers, hair and makeup, and even a photographer. Ted and Kathy appreciated the way the team stepped in to make their day beautiful and the team enjoyed celebrating the newlyweds.
“Getting to be a wedding planner like this is the part of nursing that I love,” Andrea Owens, RN at the care center, said. “They don’t teach you this in nursing school, but I love the human connection in hospice care and getting to be part of people’s lives in a way that truly matters.”
Once Ted returned home, the hospice team continued to care for Kathy and Ted. Team BCN provided all of Ted’s medical equipment, including a hospital bed and managed his IV medications, assisted with baths and provided emotional support so that he could remain
“They went above and beyond,” Kathy said. “We weren’t expecting the best outcome with the diagnosis we are facing, but they gave us the best outcome possible that we can have right now, and it’s because of them.”
Turning Memories into Music and a Lasting Legacy
Don Henderson didn’t just share stories. He brought them to life. With a sparkle in his eye and a voice full of rhythm, he’d recount tales of singing in his beloved quartet, road trips with friends, and high school escapades that still made him chuckle. During his visits with Integrative Medicine therapist Emma Powers, every conversation unfolded like the next stanza in a life well-lived.
“I thought that his story needed to be written down, and I heard a song in the making,” Emma said.
Together, Emma and Don began to write lyrics, capturing Don’s voice, his journey, and the music that had always been a part of his life. The result was a deeply personal song that reflected the legacy Don wanted to leave behind.
During her final visit, Emma sang the completed song to Don.
“It was something he was proud of, just like I was” she said.
After Don passed, his wife Roberta played Don’s Song at his funeral, allowing friends and family to celebrate his life in a way that felt authentically him.
“I just can’t thank you all enough,” Roberta said. “I’ve always said you all are angels, and I’m happy that Don was able to spend his last days focusing on music because it made him so happy.”
Music therapy is part of the Integrative Medicine Program at Bluegrass Care Navigators and is generously supported by donors. The Hendersons are one of many families who have felt isolated and found hope because of these therapies. Thanks to the generosity of our Caring Community, Don’s story didn’t end. Instead, it became a song that continues to bring peace, joy and healing to those who loved him most.
“Thank you to anyone who has donated to the Integrative Medicine program,” Emma said. “It truly makes a difference for patients and families.” Scan the QR code to see their heartfelt story.
Donor-Funded Therapies Enhance Patient Care with Compassion and Innovation
Our Integrative Medicine Program, founded in 2019, enhances end-of-life care by combining traditional medicine with complementary therapies like massage, music, meditation, art, and mindfulness—all tailored to the unique needs of each patient. These services are entirely donor funded and available at no cost to the patient. In 2024, we delivered nearly 700 integrative sessions and this year costs are expected to exceed $278,000. This care is not reimbursed by insurance—and yet it’s often what patients need most, making donor support more critical than ever.
Will you be the difference between pain and peace?
Give today by visiting bgcarenav.org/integrativemedicine or scanning the QR code.
Tax-Smart Giving: Make a Lasting Difference with Your IRA
Did you know you can use your required minimum distribution (RMD) to help Bluegrass Care Navigators without taking a tax hit? RMD is the money you must remove from your individual retirement account (IRA) each year after you turn 73. By making a gift to BCN called a qualified charitable distribution (QCD), you can fulfill all or part of your RMD without having to pay income taxes on the amount you donate. Best of all, the entire amount goes to supporting our mission and the patients and families we serve.
You don’t have to wait until you’re 73 to make a QCD gift to Bluegrass Care Navigators. As long as you’re 70½ or older, you can donate any amount up to $108,000 in 2025 directly from your IRA. (The maximum amount will increase each year with inflation.)
Another Option That Still Saves on Taxes
If a QCD isn’t right for you now and you’d prefer to make your IRA a legacy gift after your lifetime, you can name us as a beneficiary of all or a part of your IRA. It costs you nothing today—and it costs your heirs nothing in taxes when the gift is distributed. Simply contact your IRA administrator for a change-of-beneficiary form or download a form from your provider’s website, determine the percentage you would like to donate, and name our organization on the beneficiary form.
Whether you make your impact at Bluegrass Care Navigators today or after your lifetime, your gift matters. Please contact Laura Klumb at 859.296.6865 or lklumb@bgcarenav.org to discuss your plans.
BCN Honors Sara Kaufmann Society Members
at
Annual Donor Appreciation Dinner
On September 16, BCN gathered to celebrate the generosity of our Caring Community and honor the members of the Sara Kaufmann Society. The evening featured a special guest speaker, Cammie Grant, who shared a moving story about her family’s experience with our hospice services.
“It was clear that the BCN team wasn’t just doing their job,” Cammie said. “They were genuinely invested in my father’s comfort and our well-being, and I’m thankful for the expertise that BCN gave me. With their help, I could give my father what he needed at the end of his life so that I could feel at peace letting him go.”
“Because of the generosity of our Caring Community, we’re able to ensure that no one is denied hospice care and that we continually exceed expectations for those we serve in 32 counties across Kentucky. We deeply appreciate the many ways you help us remain a lifeline for people facing serious illness now and in the future,” said
Thank you to our corporate partners Netsmart and Assured Partners for sponsoring this event.
The Sara Kaufmann Society is named after one of BCN’s most generous supporters and recognizes those who have included BCN in their will or estate plan or have contributed a life-income gift. If you have already included Bluegrass Care Navigators in your will, as a beneficiary of your IRA or life insurance, or through other estate plans, please let us know by contacting us at 859.296.6865. We would be honored to thank you and welcome you into the Sara Kaufmann Society.
Local Business Supports Patients and Families with Holiday Meals
We are deeply grateful to Republic Bank for their continued partnership in providing Thanksgiving meals to our patients and their families in hospice care. Your generosity brings the warmth and comfort of home to those in need, making a significant difference in their lives. Thank you for your unwavering support!
Your Donation Makes a Difference!
Medicare’s Hospice Benefits provides vital clinical services, but it leaves a gap when it comes to the comprehensive, holistic care that Team BCN delivers. Donations from our Caring Community fund essential services outlined below. In 2024, your donation made a difference in the lives of more than 15,000 individuals and their families.
over 7,000 patients
We delivered comprehensive, expert hospice care to all who qualified, regardless of insurance status or the ability to pay.
nearly 15,000 hours
Our team of more than 300 volunteers provided extra support with weekly care calls, giftbag deliveries, patient visits and more.
more than 1,200 individuals
Our bereavement team offered grief counseling to anyone in the community who experienced a loss, including Camp Hope for kids.
over 700 sessions
Integrative therapies like massage, mindfulness, music, meditation, and art provided the extra touch of support to bring peace and comfort.
“Thank you for all the care that everyone provided for our dad. We felt it was not a job, but true loving care. We are so grateful for every one of your team members.”
—A grateful family Florence, KY
“We want to send an extra special thank you to our mom’s hospice team. We were so blessed to have had you all in her life and in ours to make her journey to heaven one of peace and comfort.”
—A grateful family Frankfort, KY
“The services your staff provided were exemplary. I cannot express enough what a comfort these individuals provided to our family. Their kindness and professionalism were just what we needed during this time.”
—A grateful family Pikeville, KY
Transforming Lives with Compassion: Your Gift Provides Hope Beyond Medicine
Throughout his career, Scotty Caudill, social worker (LCSW) in our Hazard region, cared for patients with a variety of needs—some physical, and some deeply emotional. Recently, he supported a hospice patient who was under 40 and had endured a lifetime of trauma and substance abuse. Her mother was killed when she was a child, and she had a traumatic accident as a young adult. She had no family, no home, and a history of troubled relationships that left her in a domestic violence shelter.
Whenever Scotty and the team meet a younger patient who has a history of addiction or abuse, they recognize that deep, unresolved trauma often underlies their struggles. That’s why the team’s approach always begins with trauma-informed care. Our clinicians screen each patient for their personal history and story. By understanding the person behind the symptoms, our team can offer not only the best medical treatment, but also kindness, empathy and respect.
When this patient came into our hospice care, her physical symptoms were not acute, so our team focused on her emotional needs. The staff listened deeply, took her outside to feel the sun, and did her hair and nails. One day while Scotty was visiting with her, she told him something I’ll never forget: Thanks to our team, her final days became the best days of her life.
It’s your donation that makes this kind of compassionate, whole-person care possible. It empowers nurses, chaplains, aides, and social workers like Scotty to meet patients where they are, to hear their hopes, honor their stories, and bring comfort in their final days.
Scan the QR code to hear Team BCN share why your support matters and put your gift to work today!
Navigate Grief with Compassion at the Holidays with Support from Bluegrass Care Navigators
The holiday season represents a time of joy, celebration and togetherness. However, for those who have lost a loved one, it can be a challenging and lonely period. BCN provides extra support during this time to our patients, families and community members.
At BCN, we understand that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to the complexities of grief. Licensed bereavement counselors employ a multifaceted approach to help individuals and families throughout the year, but especially during the holidays.
Through individual grief counseling, support groups and holiday workshops, we help those in grief learn to express their emotions, remember their loved ones in meaningful ways and develop effective coping skills to find connection and community. All grief care services are complimentary and open to anyone in the community.
To learn more about how grief counseling can help you and your family, call 855.492.0812. Scan the QR code or visit bgcarenav.org/grief-care to discover offerings in your area.
Celebrating National PACE Month with our 100th Member
This September, Bluegrass PACE Care (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) enrolled its 100th participant and celebrated its third anniversary that also coincides with National PACE month. This achievement is a direct result of our team’s dedication, compassion, and teamwork that empowers our participants to live with dignity, joy and independence in their homes and communities every day. Let’s celebrate our successes and look forward to the many lives we’ll impact together!
Learn more about Bluegrass PACE Care at bgcarenav.org/pace.
Radio Day Re-Cap: Thank you, London!
We’re so grateful to our listeners, donors, community partners, and Challenge Sponsor, Forcht Group, for making this year’s BCN Radio Day in London a success.
Special thanks 96.7 FM WANV —your support helps us raise critical awareness and funds for patients and families in need.
Lively Speakeasy Themed BASH Raises Funds and Hope in Hazard
The Bluegrass Care Navigators’ annual BASH in Hazard was a roaring success, as the community came together for a night of excitement and generosity.
Hosted in downtown Hazard on October 4, this year’s event embraced a lively Roaring 20’s speakeasy theme. Guests came dressed as dolls, molls, gangsters and flappers and enjoyed a delicious dinner before dancing the night away. The BASH drew supporters from Hazard and surrounding areas, all united in their commitment to raising funds for area hospice patients and families served at home and at the Greg and Noreen Wells Bluegrass Hospice Care Center. We’re deeply grateful to Laura Feltner-State Farm, Fugate Family Chiropractic, our many community sponsors, and everyone who joined us. Your generosity and enthusiasm make a lasting difference in our community!
Your gift supports our clinicians and volunteers as they go above and beyond for the patients and families we serve. Whether it’s through fulfilling needs from our Amazon wish lists, making a year-end gift, or transferring appreciated stock, your generosity makes a profound difference. Together, we can provide compassionate, end-of-life care with comfort and dignity.
Last year, your generosity empowered our team to deliver compassionate care to 15,025 Kentucky families. Because of your gift, no one was turned away from hospice care due to inability to pay.
Visit bgcarenav.org/ways-to-give or scan the QR code to discover how you can still make a difference in 2025.
