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PRim ime e Night of Terror Three families on surviving, recovering after deadly tornado Save your electronics from lightning damage Tips and precautions that can save your life

Granbury, Texas March 2016

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CONTENTS 4 Night of Terror 7 Meet Gracie Thornton 8 Have plan before disaster hits 10 H-E-B quick to respond to disasters 13 Where in the Hood?

15 Storm shelter owners should report to county 21 Autistic child kept family calm during tornado 22 Calendar

Granbury High School sophomore Cheyenny Terry and other Stowaways have helped out at the Habitat for Humanity neighborhood in Rancho Brazos, where a deadly tornado hit almost three years ago.

March 2016 | Prime | 3

Night of

The Holtzinger family includes (above, from left) Amanda, Logan, Hayden and Brandon. The Habitat for Humanity home they lived in had to be repaired because of damage caused by the 2013 tornado that killed six people in Rancho Brazos. MARK WILSON | HOOD COUNTY NEWS

4 | Prime | March 2016

Terror Mother relieved to find kids, mom unharmed after tornado

‘All I could hear was her screaming, ‘It’s destroyed ... get home!’

--Amanda Holtzinger

BY MARK WILSON

A

manda Holtzinger’s first clue a tornado damaged her Rancho Brazos home came in a horrifying phone call from her mother.

Dana McNeese was keeping Amanda’s two children while she was at work in Granbury.

“All I could hear was her screaming, ‘It’s destroyed ... get home!” Amanda said of the May 15, 2013 tornado that demolished or damaged dozens of homes in her neighborhood.

PRECAUTIONS When the tornado was approaching their house on Edgebrook Court, Amanda’s mother herded the boys into the bathroom and put a twin mattress over them.

Hayden positioned himself over his younger brother Logan to give him added protection.

“I thought they hated each other,” Amanda joked. “They still fight. I think they live to torture each other.”

Since then, one of their neighbors said they are welcome to stay in his storm shelter, which has room for up to 21 people.

Prior to the tornado, Amanda said they had never really talked about what to do in such situations.

Now, unless they go to that neighbor’s shelter, they know to put on their baseball batting helmets and ride out the storm in the bathroom.

QUICK TRIP HOME Amanda hadn’t been able to reach her by phone after realizing how dangerous the storm was becoming.

Hail busted through a skylight at Water View, where she worked as a medical aide.

She called her then-boyfriend Brandon – now her husband – where he worked, and he drove her to the subdivision east of Granbury.

Near the Rancho Brazos entrance was a man sitting beside the roadway wearing a bloody white shirt.

“He kind of had his head in his hands,” said Amanda.

It was a friend and former coworker of Brandon. He was the first to confirm to them that what Amanda’s mother had screamed about was a tornado.

SPRINTING HOME The entrance to Rancho Brazos was

COURTESY

This photo shows a twin mattress that Dana McNeese used in the bathroom of her daughter’s home to protect her and her two grandsons when the 2013 tornado roared through Rancho Brazos. The boys were ages 7 and 2 at the time. shut down by officers, so Amanda jumped out of the car and ran to the house – about four blocks away.

She said she had to jump over downed power lines and debris.

“All of the houses around the community center were leveled,” Amanda said.

She became confused because so many of the neighborhood’s landmarks had been demolished – and it was getting dark.

“I thought, ‘There’s nothing that’s going to stop me from getting to those babies,” she said of Hayden and Logan, who were 7 and almost 3, respectively, at the time.

“I was trying to get to my house, and I couldn’t tell where it was. It had major damage, but it was still standing.

“My mom had the kids in the car and they were coming back (to the house) because there was no way out.

“I was so relieved because she hadn’t said anything about the kids. They didn’t have a scratch on them.

“I think Logan was in shock. He wouldn’t talk. He was wide-eyed. He didn’t know what was happening.”

Less than a block away were slabs where some of their neighbors’ homes were blown away.

The twister was estimated to have had winds of up to 200 mph.

AN ANGEL’S HELP? Some neighbors seemed panicky, while others were calm.

“There was this lady running down the street saying there was a gas leak, and we were all going to blow up and die,” said Amanda, who now works as a massage

therapist.

Brandon said the smell of natural gas filled the air.

“We heard lots of screaming – probably the whole time (we) were walking,” he said.

A short time later, a man with a flashlight walked up and offered to help them find their way out of the subdivision on foot.

They never learned the man’s identity.

Logan later referred to their helper as an angel.

“We had to climb over houses,” Amanda said. “We would have ended up with nails in our feet (without a light).

“It took us forever to get out of there.

We couldn’t go back out on the main road because power lines were down.”

They found out later that one of their neighbors was one of the six people killed in the tornado.

“I just think how lucky they are,” Amanda said of her children and her mother.

“Our neighbor is dead and the kids came out without a scratch.”

THE DAMAGE The home Amanda lived in with her two kids had about $40,000 worth of damage. It was a Habitat for Humanity home, which meant that it was required to be fully insured.

“I had to get a new roof,” she said of the major damage. “I had several holes through my house.”

Amanda received a donated car from Project-44 to replace hers, which was heavily damaged.

With no place to stay following the tornado, Amanda and her children moved into Brandon’s house.

Her residence was repaired in about three months, so they moved back along with Brandon, who then sold his home.

Amanda and Brandon were married on July 4, 2014. Q

COURTESY

A resident surveys the devastation caused by the deadly tornado that ripped through the Rancho Brazos subdivision, on the next street over from the home of Amanda Holtzinger. Her mother and two sons were at home at the time but survived a close call.

March 2016 | Prime | 5

If a warning is issued or if threatening weather approaches: • In a home or building, move to a pre-designated shelter, such as a basement. • If an underground shelter is not available, move to an interior room or hallway on the lowest floor and get under a sturdy piece of furniture. • Stay away from windows. • Get out of automobiles. • Do not try to outrun a tornado in your car; instead, leave it immediately. • Mobile homes, even if tied down, offer little protection from tornadoes and should be abandoned. • Occasionally, tornadoes develop so rapidly that advance warning is not possible. Remain alert for signs of an approaching tornado. Flying debris from tornadoes causes most deaths and injuries. Q

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race Thornton doesn’t see it as retirement. After 18 years, Grace says she is “graduating” as the key player in the Granbury High School basketball and volleyball tournament hospitality room.

Grace made folks feel at home by having a plethora of goodies for any and all passersby. And with each dish came a smile.

Whether it was a delicious entree or a decadent dessert, Grace’s goodies were favorites of participants, officials and visitors.

She took a moment to reflect on how it started, why she did it for so long, and some special moments.

Multiple involvement Grace has been a cheer mom, choir mom, basketball mom, volleyball mom, softball mom, band mom and Project Graduation mom.

“Sporting tournaments bring coaches and referees to our home courts and fields. We try to have healthy/energy options along with favorite comfort foods.”

Most popular food “My personal top requested dish is a breakfast casserole. That’s easy, but I embellish with extra cheese and green chilies.

“Favorites I have experienced are CrockPot/baked potatoes. It’s most popular when we have cool, cold, rainy weather.

“It is always fun to watch coaches and referees come and survey the day’s options before they play a game, and then come back and make a bee-line for something they have built an appetite for.”

Interesting folks crossing paths Her job offers lots of people watching.

“It’s fun when you catch a comment about your athlete from another coach or referee and they don’t know you’re the parent,” Grace said. “What has been insightful is when the coaches share their obstacles, whether it be district politics, difficult parents, economic challenges or talent.

“One common, consistent comment over the years, ‘Granbury has the best hospitality room.’”

Passing the hotplate, er, torch Grace has some advice for whomever takes over for her in the hospitality room.

“It’s the little things that make a difference. Desserts on a tray instead of in a box, cheese and condiments with utensils, decorations and music.”

And, she added, be a part of the special 20 percent who do the work, not the 80 percent who talk about it. Not only does it satisfy appetites, it inspires our youths. Q – Rick Mauch March 2016 | Prime | 7

Be prepared Have a plan before disaster hits TEXT AND PHOTO BY MARK WILSON

L

ois McKannan is a precious 10-year-old girl with a delicate voice and the face of a little angel.

She’s also among the most helpless when something like a deadly tornado barges through as it did in Rancho Brazos in 2013.

At the time, the McKannan family was living with a friend on Sundown Trail in Rancho Brazos. They had just moved to Hood County from Wyoming.

The tornado “came pretty much right over us,” Christy McKannan said, noting that her husband, Tom, was at church that night. “We had just enough time to get into the hallway. I threw blankets over us.”

“Us” included Lois and their other daughter, Marj, who was 10 at the time. Lois was only 7 when the tornado struck.

Lois was in a wheelchair, having been born with muscular dystrophy.

Fortunately, the tornado did not cause any tragic losses for the McKannans. But it can underscore how important it is to be prepared in advance of natural disasters – particularly for those with disabled family members.

BE PREPARED Before bedtime, Lois’ parents have to connect her to three machines that take care of her overnight health needs.

Because the Granbury area subdivision was closed down for a while after the tornado, law enforcement officers had to go into the residence to retrieve the feeding machine Lois needs.

Christy’s advice to any parents who have a family member in a 8 | Prime | March 2016

Christy (back left) and Tom McKannan and their two daughters, Lois (front left) and Marj, had a close call in 2013 when a tornado tore through Rancho Brazos,

southeast of Granbury. They now live in Sky Harbour north of Granbury.

wheelchair is to be prepared so that if evacuation is the only option, key supplies will be handy. “Have extra supplies in a bag that you can just take with you,� Christy said. “Make sure the machines are taken with you. “Be prepared for that unexpected moment when you have to grab and go – that you have no choice. Even if it’s a suitcase full of clothes, or extra money.�

Although they are more prepared than ever, their situation doesn’t exactly give them a warm and fuzzy feeling of security. Their residence now is a mobile home in another Granbury subdivision.

Christy said that if another tornado comes near, they will probably take shelter in a neighbor’s non-mobile home if they have enough advance warning. “If you know it’s coming, don’t wait around to see if it’s going to hit you,� she said. “We had no notice.�

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‘Be prepared for that unexpected moment when you have to grab and go.’ --Christy McKannon are in the area around bedtime, Christy said. “There won’t be any sleeping going on in the house,� she said.

‘A MIRACLE’ Christy said that the Rancho Brazos tornado ripped off a neighbor’s roof.

Other neighbors were trapped in their

house for a couple of hours, while other nearby homes were blown away.

Only shingles and wicker furniture were blown away at the McKannan home. “It was a miracle,� Christy said. “I looked out the back door and saw pitch white, and I saw things flying. It was almost like we were right in the middle of it. There was no sound.� Q

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COURTESY

H-E-B partners/staffers travel to various communities when disaster strikes. They distribute food and water, assist with cleanup and help with language barriers.

Responding to disaster H-E-B staffers have quick response TEXT BY DEBBIE SCHNEIDER When the tornado hit Granbury on May 15, 2013, Pat Wilson went into disaster response mode.

Wilson, who is the H-E-B store manager, left his house taking basic supplies to the Rancho Brazos neighborhood, southeast of Granbury.

“He went out that night to the shelter for displaced families,” said Chelsea Thompson, H-E-B community coordinator.

The next day, H-E-B officials met with representatives of the American Red Cross, Thompson stated, and set up the disaster response tent.

10 | Prime | March 2016

Fifty-eight partners (employees) volunteered more than 300 hours in eight days following the tornado.

“Some partners came from as far as Burleson and Waco to help victims of the Granbury tornado,” Thompson said. “It’s the spirit of H-E-B.”

Gift cards, sunscreen, lip balm Granbury tornado victims were given gift cards, gas cards, sunscreen and lip balm.

The supplies are funded by the H-E-B emergency preparedness department.

Store customers had an option at the register to donate money for tornado victims.

H-E-B raised some $20,000 for The Salvation Army.

Volunteers distributed supplies like hand sanitizer, work gloves, H-E-B drinks and bottled water, and also helped families clean up debris across the devastated neighborhood.

When Thompson noticed a language barrier at the tornado scene, she asked for help.

“I sent out a request for Spanish-speaking volunteers, and within an hour, we had two from (H-E-B) Burleson and two from (H-E-B) Waxahachie on the way,” she said. “When H-E-B comes into a community, we make a promise to help neighbors in times of need.” Q

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Here

4

in the Hood

2 The Bridge Street History Center at 319 E. Bridge St. in Granbury displays photos and documents, plus personal writing and mementos of pioneering residents of Hood County. The Nutt House, also known as “D.L. Nutt Home,” was built in 1879 at its existing location.

The house was built for David Lee Nutt who was a successful business owner in Granbury’s early history. Mary Lou Watkins, granddaughter of D.L. Nutt, purchased the house in the mid-1960s and began an extensive restoration.

3

At the Granbury Doll House Museum “every doll has a story.” Visitors can enjoy a collection of celebrity, international and religious dolls. Some of the famous dolls that have been featured include Prince William and Kate Middleton, Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, Little Debbie and the Campbell Soup Kids. Designed to look like an actual doll house, the Granbury Doll House Museum is located at 421 E. Bridge St. 14 | Prime | March 2016

Cresson’s original one-room schoolhouse was located just west of this site at 9304 Pittsburg St. and was torn down in 1890 when a two-story frame structure was erected here.

This yellow-brick, mission revival schoolhouse was completed in 1931, with an auditorium and four large classrooms. After Cresson consolidated with Granbury schools in 1967, the school building sat abandoned. A community group organized in the late 1970s to work for its restoration. Today, the school serves as a museum and a community center.

1 Also known as the 1858 log cabin and historic home, the Yeats-Duke Museum is located at 214 Crockett St., just north of the Granbury square. The “working museum” features demonstrations such as spinning, weaving and knitting. There is no admission charge.

Lifeline Owners of storm shelters should report to county TEXT BY KATHY CRUZ PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARY VINSON

A

re you among those who bought a storm shelter after the tornado of 2013 – or maybe even already had one when the deadly twister hit?

Good for you.

But here’s another question: Did you alert the county to the location of your storm shelter in case they need to help you out of it?

Oops.

If you didn’t, put that as number one on your to-do list.

The storm shelter may save your life in a tornado, but if it should become covered in debris to the extent that you can’t get out, you’ll be in trouble if no one knows where to find you.

Cindy Stafford, the county’s coordinator for 9-1-1 addressing and GIS (Geographic Information System) mapping, said that those with storm shelters should report them to her office (817-579-3286) or to the fire marshal’s office (817-579-3335).

“We just want to make sure that emergency services can get to you,” Stafford said. “If a tree falls down on top of your shelter, we don’t know it (the storm shelter) is there.”

People don’t necessarily know to notify the county that they have a storm shelter.

They are not required by law to do so, and permits typically aren’t required.

However, Stafford said that the gated community of Pecan Plantation does require permits. Therefore, noting the geographic coordinates of those shelters has been easily done. They are duly noted on a county map of storm shelters.

Stafford worries, though, about other housing developments, such as deCordova.

So far, she has not been notified of any storm shelters there.

“I guarantee you there are some there,” she said.

Dan Reeder peers into the underground storm shelter at his home in Laguna Vista. He and wife Sharon had the safe room installed in their back yard after the tornado in 2013.

Once Stafford or the fire marshal’s office is notified of a storm shelter, a deputy fire marshal is sent to the site to get the GPS coordinates.

“Some of those storm shelters are tiny,” Stafford said. “Some have safe rooms in the middle of the house.”

In all, the county has records of 56 storm shelters. Many were put in after the deadly tornado that struck almost three years ago, Stafford noted.

“After 2013, there were a lot of storm shelters put in all over the place,” she said. Q March 2016 | Prime | 15

Surging Ahead

MARY VINSON | HOOD COUNTY NEWS

Electrical surges from lightning can destroy electronic devices in your house, but this damage can be lessened or prevented by installing a system of surge protection that consists of point-of-use devices and a whole house surge device.

ground rather than through the house structure and its wiring.

• Consult a qualified contractor for installation.

• Please note: A lightning protection system will not protect a home from electrical damage or fire from lightning entering through the telephone, cable or electrical lines to the house. Whole house surge protection devices are needed for this protection.

Surge Protective Devices (SPD)

Whole House Surge Protection

• These systems protect electronic and electrical appliances from • A whole house surge protection system can be installed on the all but the most severe electrical surges or direct strikes. electric meter or the electrical panel to help protect the appliances • They should be installed at all items to be protected. and electronic equipment in your house such as computers, TVs and • A good electrical grounding system is essential.

VCRs. • Contact your local electric company for installation informaLightning Protection Systems tion. If your utility company doesn’t offer the service, a qualified • The systems provide a direct path for lightning to follow to the electrician can install this device at your electrical panel. Q

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Turn Around, Don’t Drown Except for heat-related fatalities, more deaths occur from flooding than any other hazard. Why? Most people fail to realize the power of water. For example, 6 inches of fast-moving flood water can knock you off your feet.

While the number of fatalities can vary dramatically with weather conditions from year to year, the national 30-year average (1977-2006) for flood deaths is 99. That compares with a 30-year average of 61 deaths for lightning, 54 for tornadoes and 49 for hurricanes.

National Weather Service data also shows: • Nearly half of all flash flood fatalities are vehicle-related • The majority of victims are males • Most flash floods are caused by slow moving thunderstorms, thun18 | Prime | March 2016

MARY VINSON | HOOD COUNTY NEWS

derstorms that move repeatedly over the same area or heavy rains from tropical storms and hurricanes. These floods can develop within minutes or hours depending on the intensity and duration of the rain, the topography, soil conditions and ground cover.

• Flash floods can roll boulders, tear out trees, destroy buildings and bridges, and scour out new channels. Rapidly rising water can reach heights of 30 feet or more. Furthermore, flash flood-producing rains can also trigger catastrophic mud slides.

• Occasionally, floating debris or ice can accumulate at a natural or man-made obstruction and restrict the flow of water. Water held back by the ice jam or debris dam can cause flooding upstream. Subsequent flash flooding can occur downstream if the obstruction should suddenly release. More information can be obtained at the Southern Region Flood Hazards Page. Q

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Challenged Tammy Mullins with her prayer board given to her by friends from Habitat for Humanity. Tammy, her family and friends survived the tornado that hit Rancho Brazos in 2013, thanks in part to her autistic son Cody keeping them calm.

20 | Prime | March 2016

Autistic child kept family calm during monster tornado TEXT BY RICK MAUCH PHOTOS BY MARY VINSON

T

ammy Mullins has spent 22 years as caregiver for her autistic son Cody.

But on the darkest night of her life in 2013, when an F4 tornado slammed into her Habitat for Humanity home in Rancho Brazos, it was Cody who provided calm for his mom, sister and friends.

Tammy vividly recalls the winds swirling with such ferocity they flung cars through the air like a child would a Hot Wheels toy.

And then there was Cody’s laugh. He doesn’t speak.

His autism prevented him from having a total grasp of the situation. He thought the ordeal was something of a carnival ride.

“He thought it was the craziest thing,” said Tammy. “He was laughing.

“He’s slightly hearing-impaired, but I know he could hear what was going on, and he could see. He just couldn’t comprehend, and that was actually a good thing.

“He actually kept everybody sane. Some kids were yelling, ‘We’re gonna die! We’re gonna die!’”

But they didn’t die.

In fact, Tammy’s house was one that survived, though they were displaced for three months while the windows and roof were replaced.

Tammy, Cody and his sister Jessica, now 16, went to live with a friend, Shelia Lawson, who was there that night. Shelia

Jessica Mullins with her puppies after they all survived the 2013 tornado that hit their home in Rancho Brazos.

Tammy Mullins (back left) and her family and friends managed to stay calm and get through the Rancho Brazos tornado of 2013 with the help of her autistic son Cody (back, right). His autism kept him from having a full grasp of the situation, and he thought it was something akin to a carnival ride. had survived the 2002 tornado that hit Granbury, though it did take out her house.

Having been through such an ordeal, Sheila knew how the folks in Rancho Brazos felt, particularly those who were now without their homes.

“I had been there. I knew what they were going through,” she said. “I did all I could, but it’s so tough when you’re a victim of something like this.”

She might also have saved the life of her friend.

It was Sheila who realized instantly the horror that was about to drop down on them when they were in the front yard and things grew dark.

“Oh yeah, I could see what was developing, and it was frightening,” Sheila said. “I knew right away what we had coming toward us.”

Seconds later, hail as big as grapefruit smashed into homes and vehicles. The cars they parked under trees to avoid the oncoming hail were soon crushed by those same trees, and then lifted into the air with the ease of a feathered pillow.

A 2x4 crashed through the ceiling of Jessica’s bedroom as a toothpick would ease its way into a piece of fruit.

Sheila got her friends, and her own daughter, to safety, or at least as safe as they could be inside the house.

Fortunately, for them, the house did not get uprooted, though it seemed Armageddon was happening all around them.

But even Shelia, with her previous experience, got some comfort from Cody.

“Cody was a big relief for all of us that night,” she said. “As we were stepping over damaged power lines, he thought we were trying to dance.

“He was such a calming influence to us in a scenario of chaos.”

In the end, fate smiled on Tammy, her family and friends. No one at her residence died, though some neighbors weren’t as fortunate.

“There were a lot of people who lost more than I did,” said a humbled Tammy. “But this is not something I ever want to go through again.

“I grew up in the Rio Grande Valley.

Hurricanes I can handle, but you can keep tornadoes.”

Tammy still occasionally goes to counseling, knowing that night will never leave her memory. And sometimes when she hears an unexpected siren, she gets a chill.

“It’s kind of like having PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder),” she said. “It was terrifying. It destroyed my neighborhood.”

And she will never look at the skies the same again. She keeps four weather apps on her phone, checking each with regularity.

“Especially during the month of May,” she said with a slight smile.

“But we survived, and I can check that off my bucket list. I don’t need that any more.”

And there’s Cody, who gave his mother comfort and security when death had sent its courier swooping through their neighborhood.

Though she has been his caregiver for so many years, the roles were somewhat reversed for that one evening.

“He was making us giggle, of all things,” Tammy said. “We were scared out of our wits, but there we were giggling because of him.

“He’s a very special young man.” Q March 2016 | Prime | 21

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2016

MARY VINSON | HOOD COUNTY NEWS

Bull riding returns to Granbury City Beach March 19-20.

March

9 Lake Granbury Master Gardeners Spring Plant Sale, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Demonstration & Education Garden, 1410 W. Pearl St.

2 Student history fair and Elizabeth Crockett memorial program planned by Texas Heroes Foundation at Acton Baptist Church, 3500 Fall Creek Highway, and Acton Cemetery. http://march2texas.com

16 Hood County Relay for Life, Granbury Reunion Grounds, http://relay. acsevents.org

3 Awards presentation for Student History Fair sponsored by Texas Heroes Foundation, 6:30 p.m. at Acton Baptist Church, 3500 Fall Creek Highway. http://march2texas.com 19, 20 General Granbury’s Birthday Bash and Cook-Off, vendor booths on the square, birthday cake, beans and barbecue cook-off and the Outrageous Outhouse Race. Bulls on the Beach, bull riding planned at City Beach. http://granburysquare.com

April 1 Opening night for Granbury Theatre Company ‘s “The Marvelous Wonderettes” continues through May 1 at Granbury Opera House, http:// granburytheatrecompany.org 2 Country Spirit Jamboree at Granbury Reunion Grounds. Fundraiser for Cancer Care Services of Hood County. http://cancercareservices.org 22 | Prime | March 2016

23 Eighth annual Acton Nature Run at Revolver Brewing, 5650 Matlock Road, www.racedayeventservices.com 29-30 Granbury Wine Walk, on the square and surrounding area, http:// granburywinewalk.com

May 13 Opening night for Granbury Theatre Company ‘s “Hello Dolly” continues through June 12, Granbury Opera House, http://granburytheatrecompany.org 27-30 Field of Flags: Remembrance and Honor, presented by Greater Granbury Military Officers Association of America. Purchase a flag and honor military and first responders, 4064 E. Highway 377 (near the Luton Ranch shopping area), 817-776-7766. Proceeds go to support Hood County veterans and their families, http://granburyfieldofflags.com 28-30 Memorial Weekend on the square, outdoor festival.

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Hospice Myths and Facts MYTH: Hospice means giving up hope.

FACT: When faced with a terminal illness, many patients and family members tend to dwell on the imminent loss of life rather than on making the most of the life that remains. Hospice helps patients reclaim the spirit of life. It helps them understand that even though death can lead to sadness, anger and pain, it can also lead to opportunities for reminiscence, laughter, reunion and hope.

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MYTH: Hospice means that the patient will soon die.

FACT: Receiving hospice care does not mean giving up hope, or that death is imminent. The earlier an individual receives hospice care, the more opportunity there is to stabilize a patient’s medical condition and support those who love and care for the patient.

MYTH: You can’t keep your own doctor if you enter hospice.

FACT: Hospice physicians work closely with your doctor of choice to develop a plan of care. If the patient does not have a primary care physician, hospice can provide medical services.

MYTH: A hospice patient can’t go to the hospital.

FACT: A patient receiving hospice services may go to the hospital.

MYTH: To be eligible for hospice Hospice should be notified prior to care, a patient must already transport so that we can notify the be bedridden.

FACT: Hospice care is appropriate hospital billing office of the correct at the time of the terminal prognosis, way to submit the bill. This eliminates regardless of the patient’s physical the possibility of losing the hospice condition. Many of the patients benefit and allows hospice to served through hospice continue to determine if hospitalization is related lead productive and rewarding lives. to the terminal illness. However, Together, the patient, family and hospice care is directed toward physician determine when hospice maintaining the patient and keeping services should begin. them comfortable in his or her usual living arrangement.

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