Circles of Care Fall 2022-Winter 2023 Newsletter

Circles of Care

Palliative Care offers comfort hope and time

By Susan Newhof

Michael Hartman had been receiving palliative care for about a year when we asked a favor of him. We wondered if he would be interested in documenting over several months how palliative care impacted his life so readers could learn more about this remarkable medical specialty.

Michael was happy to tell his story and hoped it would help others overcome any hesitation about considering palliative care. We agreed to talk by phone every couple weeks through the summer. I took notes and wrote his comments in the form of a journal for him to edit and approve.

On May 16, 2022, our first interview, I discovered Michael’s delightful ironic sense of humor when he opened with this:

“On January 8, 2021, I had a heart attack that saved my life.”

That heart attack led doctors to discover Michael’s stage four colon cancer. While his oncologist started him on chemotherapy, Michael was introduced to our palliative care team, and they focused on helping alleviate issues such as pain and fatigue.

During each of our conversations, Michael talked about things he was having fun doing—and was able to do— because palliative care helped him feel good. He described his meaningful trip to see the WWII 390th Air Force Bomb Group Memorial Museum at the Pima Air & Space Museum with his wife Linda and their daughter, April. The visit fulfilled a pledge Michael had made to his father, POW George Hartman, Jr.

At the top of his list: Michael was spending as much time as possible with his loving family and relatives at their lakeside cabins about 90 minutes north of Muskegon. He loved cooking on the grill for everyone! It was his happy place.

Michael often praised the palliative care team members and appreciated that he could always reach one of them by phone. He described them as open-minded and focused on giving him the best quality of life possible.

On August 4, Michael filled me in on the great weekend he had up at the lake and celebrating 44 years of marriage to Linda. Then the conversation turned somber. His recent scan showed that one tumor had grown a little. He said his options were to try a new kind of chemo or transition to hospice care.

“I’m going to take a little time off and think about that,” he said. Then he announced he would turn 64 the next day. They were headed up to the lake to celebrate Linda’s retirement, and he was eager to head to the Mackinac Bridge on Monday with his family, including his young grandson. He had been

On Monday, minutes from the bridge, Michael texted his sister, Susan, “Almost there!”

Daughter April was driving and intended to pull into a bridge observation area, but she ended up in the “on” lane instead. Moments later, they were traveling north on the magnificent suspension bridge over the blue waters of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. Michael was thrilled! They walked around downtown St. Ignace for a while, and ate fudge and ice cream. Michael bought souvenirs. Then they came back across the bridge and settled into their accommodations for the night with pizza and a movie.

The next morning Michael was having trouble breathing. “I have to go back to the cabin,” he told his family. Later that afternoon they took him from the cabin to the hospital. Michael’s big and tender heart was failing.

“Palliative care gave Michael time,” Linda told me a few weeks later. “He could endure the chemo, which kept him going. He could tell the palliative care team about problems he was having such as eating or not being able to sleep. They helped him figure out solutions. They calmed him, and being able to see Michael calm made me feel better, too. When you talk with people about palliative care, they hear the word hope. Michael had a good journey.”

We are deeply grateful to Michael and his family for sharing their stories, and especially grateful to Michael for showing us how to live fully each day, with hope and expectation, making plans to the end.

You can read all six of Michael’s inspiring journal entries by visiting our palliative care page at EmbraceTheTime.org.

Michael, his wife Linda, and Daughter April, at the Grand Canyon Michael and his family

Michael and his family with their tie-dyed bucket hats

Meeting you where you

are

In this edition of Circles of Care, we continue to celebrate our hospice and palliative care staff and volunteers, and the thousands of patients and families we have come to know, and to share their stories in anticipation of our 40th year of service in West Michigan. Along with the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, we are also celebrating the expertise and compassionate care offered by hospice and palliative care providers across the country.

Our touching cover story began as a way of helping you learn more about palliative care in the words of our patient, Michael Hartman. Michael was eager to share with you how the palliative care team made a difference in his life, and in the lives of those he loved so much, giving them comfort, hope and time as he dealt with a serious illness.

We initiated palliative care as an outpatient pilot program in 2010. In 2021, we served 445 patients. As I write this, it is early November and we have already exceeded that number. Every day, our team meets patients and families where they are, easing pain and suffering, focusing on the time they have, and helping them prepare for important decisions they will need to consider. This remarkable program is growing quickly, and that has been possible only because of your support.

I am delighted to have you read about our Volunteer of the Year who makes each day a little more special for those at our Leila and Cyrus Poppen Hospice Residence, and I am proud to introduce you to the new board members of Harbor Hospice and the Harbor Hospice Foundation.

Meeting you where you are is what you can expect from us. Our staff and volunteers listen without judgment to understand where our patients and families are in their journey and how we can help. We are grateful to have you walk alongside us, making our work possible, and grateful to those who are guiding us wisely so we can fulfill our mission with skill, compassion and joy for another 40 years.

In Memoriam, Joy R. Nelson

1938–2022

“I was honored to serve on the Harbor Hospice Board with Joy beginning in the early 2000s. Her love for the organization and determination to do what was best for the staff, our patients and their families was crystal clear every time we met. Her leadership during the development of the The Leila and Cyrus Poppen Hospice Residence—Harbor Hospice was nothing short of amazing. When Joy put her mind to something, nothing would stop her. I also appreciated the personal and professional relationship she had with my dad, who like Joy, was a banker. She shared some great stories!”

–Roger Morgenstern, board chair of Harbor Hospice, Harbor Palliative Care, and Harbor Hospice Foundation

Harbor Hospice remembers a long-time advocate, volunteer, and friend. She will be missed and cherished for the many ways she impacted our mission.

Then and Now! How times have changed

Part II (continued from Vol. 29)

Interviews

by Susan Newhof

Cheri Pernot, Systems Manager began as a receptionist with Harbor Hospice in 1995 and moved into technology “in its infancy!” in 1998

Communication

Then: We used to stop at pay phones to make calls. Everyone carried phone cards and we had to type in a bunch of digits that were on the card in order to make long-distance calls. We got our first lap top computers in 2000. Many nurses had never touched a computer, so I sent a survey to get an idea of their level of comfort and knowledge with technology. Then we loaded e-mail and games such as Solitaire on their computers so they could practice before they started charting patient notes.

We had no internet on 9/11/01. The receptionist had a radio at the front desk and that’s how we followed the events of the day.

We went from a bag phone for the on-call staff to pagers to flip phones and then air cards that went in USB ports to provide internet access. Texting was a big challenge on flip phones!

When I first started, we had one server and one printer for the whole organization.

Now: Now we have our Leila and Cyrus Poppen Hospice Residence, our administrative offices, and a location in Hart for our northern staff, and we have nine servers and eight printers! Staff members have smart phones with hot spots for internet access.

When COVID hit, we set up everyone with an internet account for virtual communication. Staff can now participate in meetings wherever they are around the world! We use TEAMS instead of ZOOM because it is incorporated into our Microsoft 365 software.

Tele-Health started as a way to talk with patients during COVID while keeping everyone safe. Now, it has become an efficient way to communicate with patients in all sorts of non-emergency situations, and it is here to stay!

Brenda Grant, Office Support Assistant with Harbor Hospice since 2004

At the switchboard

Then: When I first started, there were three of us on the switchboard area.

Susan Houseman President and CEO

Beanies, Brunch and Brews fundraiser

Deanna Jurgensen, payroll and Stephanie Fiebig, HR manager at Team Appreciation

Kim Suarez, foundation board member and Mhairi Blacklock at Compassionate Givers

Joy Nelson at Event of Events in 2007

I am here full time, and Irais is part time office support in the afternoons. When Irais is here, I can help out in other areas. We’re caring for more patients now than 18 years ago, yet we receive fewer calls from them. With new technologies and changes we’ve made through the years, our team does a great job taking care of patients’ needs more quickly and efficiently, so patients don’t need to call us as often.

Getting messages

Then: We wrote phone messages for staff by hand. Then we left a voicemail message for them and put our hand-written note in a holder on the desk as backup for them to pick up when they came in. We made sure nurses got messages from patients quickly. If a nurse didn’t reply or we couldn’t find them, we gave the message to the nurse’s supervisor so someone could respond quickly to the patient’s concerns. We also had a big board with everyone’s name on it and a moveable magnet at each name that indicated whether the person was in the building or out. Of course, the board was never accurate because people would forget to move their magnet to log in and out!

Now: We have a computer program so we can send an instant message, similar to a text message, to the phone of any staff member. We get a message back when they read it and they reply “ok.” That way we all know the message has been received.

That pesky PA system!

Then: If people didn’t answer their desk phones, we paged them over a PA system, so there was constant noise over our heads!

Now: We rarely use the overhead paging system now unless the message is urgent and we know the person is in the building somewhere and we’ve tried everything else. Now it is easier to connect electronically and it’s pretty much instant!

What has changed

The way of planning and delivering care has become more efficient and technical. For patients, who primarily interact with caregivers and our medical team, most of the changes are not visible, but they have enabled us to fine-tune and expand care in meaningful ways.

Our meetings, relationships and communication tools have become more sophisticated. New technology has given us exciting applications such as Tele-Health. Closer relationships with hospitals have resulted in better communication with patients and more opportunities to share with them how hospice and palliative care can help them.

Payment processing has become extremely complex and contracts are more complicated. Electronic prescribing is instant!

What has stayed the same

We provide the same expert hospice and palliative care, delivered with passion and empathy, that we’ve offered patients and their families since we were founded. Through the decades, we have adapted to waves of change—social, technical, economic, medical and more—and we continue to be a highly regarded community resource for patients seeking skilled, compassionate end-of-life and palliative care.

Those we serve consistently give us high marks because we remain focused each day on how we can best serve them.

Nancy Medema

Board

Mishelle Comstock President and CEO, Shelby State Bank

“The dedication and compassion the staff has in fulfilling the Harbor Hospice Mission of care and comfort for their patients is truly a blessing for our area and I am honored to serve and support the work of Harbor Hospice.”

“When I was working as a hospitalist Physician Assistant in Muskegon, I experienced how important Harbor Hospice was to our patients and community. As I transitioned into my new role, I was provided the opportunity

“It

Welcome to our new members of the Harbor Hospice

of Directors

John Foss Vice President of Operations, Trinity Health Lakeshore Campus

to give back and support the Harbor Hospice program, I jumped at the chance!”

Shelby Nakon

Director of Financial Services, Trinity Health At Home

is a great calling to provide end of life care, and I am honored to be a part of the remarkable work being done at Harbor Hospice.”

Congratulations to our 2021 Volunteer of the Year, and thank you to all our hospice volunteers

“Nancy brings joy to patients at the Leila and Cyrus Poppen Hospice Residence with cute and colorful placemats to cheer them up when they may not have much of an appetite. We are honored to recognize and celebrate Nancy as volunteer of the year. She is unable to visit with our patients, but she still touches their hearts with her thoughtfulness.”

–Amber Wallace, Volunteer & Events Coordinator

Dr. Gerald Harriman, Medical Director since 2006

Laura Polett, music therapist and bereavement counselor at Community Remembrance

Horses for Harbor Hospice

Mary Anne Gorman, Former Executive Director, and Joy Nelson at board meeting

Congratulations to our Hospice Hero Award Winner,

Mort Kantor

If you raced in the early years of the Harbor Hospice Regatta, you might have observed the presence of a kind sailor named Mort Kantor. Mort loved to win races. But when he didn’t win, he took the loss with grace.

He sailed for the enjoyment of it!

Mort and his family—his late wife Maxine and daughters Deb, Michelle and Lisa—joined the Muskegon Yacht Club in 1964. In 1971, Mort was honored with the leadership role of Commodore.

He acquired his boat, Chicken Soup, in 1979, and for 40 years he sailed her competitively. Fifteen years ago, when we launched the first Harbor Hospice Regatta, Mort signed on, supporting other racers, including Laurie Poppen, and then racing Chicken Soup to raise money to help fund programs and services for our patients and their families.

As with so many skippers and their crews who have been part of the Harbor Hospice Regatta, Mort had first-hand experience with hospice care and was very supportive of our mission. It is a commitment he shared with his lifelong friend, the late Sherm Poppen.

For those of us who watched him sail, Mort was the personification of the classic sailor—a proud and tough competitor who was also gracious, honest and fair.

If you beat him by one second, that was ok. And you knew it was likely he’d beat you in the next race.

If you talk with those who know Mort, especially longtime sailing buddies Bobby Cox and Jon Ledsworth, and life-long family friends like Karen Garvey who grew up around the Muskegon Yacht Club and was good friends with his daughters, they will tell you Mort was seldom in the limelight.

He was not the guy who would stride across the room to grab your hand or holler a loud hello. He was most often working in the background with little fanfare. They will tell you as a sailor, he was always fair, and never argued over the results of a race.

He is a quiet, gentle man, loved and respected by everyone in the yacht club, and by everyone whose life he touches.

Because of his steadfast support of Harbor Hospice patients through his participation in the Harbor Hospice Regatta, and the care and kindness he conveys both on the racecourse and off, we are delighted to present Dr. Mort Kantor with our Hospice Hero award!

Michael’s story and your role in the circle of support

When we explored ways to help readers understand the positive impact of palliative care for our patients and their families, we invited Michael Hartman to tell his story.

The project

Over the summer, Michael created a journal entry every few weeks to document his journey as he moved into his second year receiving palliative care. Michael was determined to make the most of every day, and that included going to movies, taking a few trips, and spending as much time as possible with his family and relatives at their lakeside cabins. His accounts are colorful and candid.

We introduce you to Michael on the front of this newsletter. To read his inspiring essays, go to EmbraceTheTime.org and click on the link.

This journal project endures as a tribute to Michael and to all our patients receiving palliative care, along with the families and caregivers who surround them.

Bridging the gap

About 25 percent of our palliative care services are not covered by insurance, such as the specialized assistance provided by our social workers, so the program seldom supports itself. But we offer those services because they have proven to be important to the wellbeing of our patients and their families.

This season, please consider making a gift to the Harbor Hospice Foundation to sustain our palliative care patients and the entire skilled team committed to their physical and emotional comfort. Thank you for helping us help them.

Welcome to our new member of the Harbor Hospice Foundation Board of Directors

David Dora

Physician, Retired “Harbor Hospice has been recognized nationally for the exceptional, high quality, compassionate care it provides to patients and their families. It is a pleasure to be a board member.”

Jennifer Briggs Russell

Director of Special Education and Student Services, Mona Shores Public Schools

“Harbor Hospice provides services that improve the quality of life for families the minute they connect. Those supports relieve some of the responsibilities families face while caring for their loved one. I cannot imagine navigating my mother’s end-of-life journey without the compassion and education we received from our Harbor Hospice team.”

Michele Vanderlinde

Vice President/Financial Advisor, Morgan Stanley

“I fully support the need for quality end-of-life care for both the patient and family. Having been supported by Harbor Hospice services in the past I wanted to be involved in some capacity. I am excited to be a part of the progress of Harbor Hospice.”

RandiLynn Talsma Co-owner and Shopkeeper, Blended Furniture Market “Even though Hospice enters our life in really challenging times, it is exciting for me to be a part of supporting our community, especially as I now am a Compassionate Giver!! Reach out to learn about this opportunity to help and grow our programs and services of Harbor Hospice.”

Legacy Circle

Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Allen

Mr. Douglas Bard

Ms. Mary Ann Bard

Mr. and Mrs. Peter Blacklock

Mr. Fred Cooper*

Mr. and Mrs. Eric Dobry

Ms. Mary Anne Gorman

Mr. and Mrs. Tim Grunwald

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Kwiecien

Mr. and Mrs. Larry Larsen

Mr. Ray Mazurkiewicz

Ms. Nancy and Larry* Medema

Mr. and Mrs. Eric Mellema

Ms. Jody A. Miller Living Trust

Mr. Roger and Michelle* Morgenstern

Mrs. Cari Noble

Ms. Laurie Poppen and Mr. John Gorton

Mr. Laurin Ramsey*

Mr. and Mrs. Steve Rauschert

Ms. Leila Reynolds

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Seymour

Mr. and Mrs. Terry Simon

Ms. Kim Suarez and Mr. Ed Polakis

Ms. Sue Syverson

Mr. and Mrs. Tim Thill

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Youngdahl

Anonymous — Six Members

*deceased Corporate Partners

Mike & Kay Olthoff

Shape Corporation

Howmet Aerospace

The Gerber Foundation

Newkirk Electric Associates, Inc.

Hines Corporation

Foster Swift Collins & Smith, PC

Shelby State Bank

Lakeshore Employee Benefits

CareLinc Medical Equipment

Jackson-Merkey Contractors

Great Lakes Dock & Materials

Sand Products/Mart Dock Fund of the Community Foundation for Muskegon County

UBS Financial Services, Inc.

Core Realty Partners

Torresen Marine, Inc.

Trinity Health

Nichols a Division of Imperial Dade

Real Estate West

Fricano’s Muskegon Lake

Trophy House

ChoiceOne Bank

Parmenter Law

Meijer

Tridonn Construction Company

LHR Properties/Tridonn Development Co.

Nugent Sand Company

Warner Norcross + Judd

Pigeon Hill Brewing Company

Lamar Advertising

The Block

Cofessco Fire Protection

Blended Furniture Market

iHeartMedia

Muskegon Yacht Club

Alpine Events

Wasserman’s

Circles of giving

Would you like to become an even greater part of our mission? We welcome your participation with any of these enthusiastic groups! For more information, go to our website at HarborHospiceMI.org, or call Ammy Seymour, Director of Development at 231.728.3442 / 1.800.497.9559.

The 1983 Legacy Circle — Planning for the future

Did you know you can plan ahead for the needs of hospice and palliative care patients and their families by designating a gift to the Harbor Hospice Foundation in your will or trust? This meaningful way to support programs you believe in is like planting a tree and having the satisfaction of knowing it will bear fruit in the future.

Gifts of any size are welcomed and can be as varied as shares of appreciated stock, a percentage of a life insurance policy or a cash donation. And because your gift is received by the Foundation after your passing, it does not impact the resources you need now. A financial planner can help you explore your options.

When you share with us that you have included the Harbor Hospice Foundation in your estate plan, we will gratefully include you as a member of our 1983 Legacy Circle!

Compassionate Givers — Having an immediate impact

This thoughtful group includes dozens of individuals who share a commitment to help us provide the best possible hospice, palliative and bereavement care—right now!

Members of Compassionate Givers meet four times a year. At each of the first three meetings, they learn from staff and volunteers about a new funding priority such as providing music therapy for patients, expanding community outreach by translating hospice materials into Spanish, or purchasing essential equipment such as a nurses’ call system.

At the fourth meeting, held each December, members discuss the three options that were presented and vote for their choice. Leadership Donors support that annual choice with a gift of $1,000. Rising Leaders support with a gift of $500.

Do you see the names of friends here? Ask them about this inspiring way to help assure patients and their families have access to the very best hospice and palliative care!

Corporate Partners — Where marketing and philanthropy meet

It’s the best of both worlds!

When you become our Corporate Partner, you can use your marketing budget to support the mission of Harbor Hospice and Harbor Palliative Care because we promote you! Using strategic communication opportunities, we’ll put your company name and logo in front of tens of thousands of people throughout West Michigan.

For example, your company logo will be displayed in our newsletters, annual report, e-mail campaigns and social media, and we will link your company’s website to ours. At all our board and committee meetings and our community events, we will recognize your company’s generous support of hospice and palliative care patients and their families. It’s a win for everyone!

Compassionate GIVERS

Compassionate Givers

Arlene DeKam

Amanda Olson

Amber Wallace

Ammy Seymour Blaire Adamczak

Bobbie Hilleary

Bonnie Kay Adamczak-Brown

Caitlin Fulton

Chad Shelner

Cheri Montambo

Cheri Pernot

Connie Learman

Darlene Collet

Dee Kwiecien

Rev. Eileen B. Stoffan

Heather Brolick

Irene Pierson

Janice McDonald

Jennifer Bailey

Jennifer Carter

Jennifer Chupailo

Jessica Ogle

Julie Johnson Karen Panozzo

Kathy Moore

Kim Suarez

Kristen Woods

Kristi Nagengast

Kristine Jordahl

Linda Siscoe

Lisa Metzdorf

Liz Murphy

Marilyn Rottschafer

Mary Anne Gorman

Merica Dobry

Mhairi Blacklock

Michele Vanderlinde

Mishelle Comstock

Pam Babbitt

Pamela Wingard

Peggy Jacobs

RandiLynn Talsma

Roger Morgenstern

Shannon Enders

Shari Simon

Susan Crain

Susan Houseman

Thomas A. Serio

Will Meier

1050 W. Western Ave., Suite 400 Muskegon, MI 49441

231.728.3442 – Muskegon 231.873.0359 – Oceana 231.845.5060 – Mason 616.844.3330 – Ottawa HarborHospiceMI.org

Joyce Busman and Rosemary Michalski have been volunteering together for Harbor Hospice for more than 20 years, and on a bright fall afternoon, the long-time friends are strolling down Memory Lane.

Rosemary turns to Joyce and smiles. “I don’t know why, but from day one we clicked,” she says. “We didn’t have to try. I knew I liked you!”

Rosemary heard about hospice care when she was a secretary at St. Francis de Sales Church. After retirement, she applied to be a Harbor Hospice volunteer.

“I saw the benefits,” she recalls, “and I didn’t want to volunteer anywhere else. It’s like family here.”

Joyce worked for a doctor and observed the good care a close friend received while in hospice. When she saw an ad for hospice volunteers, she signed up.

Through the years, Rosemary and Joyce have mastered nearly every volunteer opportunity together, from processing mailings to staffing the front desk at the Leila and Cyrus Poppen Hospice Residence.

Spring Orientations

Volunteer Basic Orientation — Monday, March 13th 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Volunteer Patient Care Training — Monday, March 27th 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

“I did a lot of smiling there!” says Joyce, who enjoyed chatting with patients and reading to them. She also cooked for them. And she was a compassionate listener for visitors who needed to talk. Rosemary brought communion to patients and called grieving family members to ask how they were doing.

For several years, Joyce volunteered around the clock at Camp Courage. After each camp, she and Rosemary got together with others and created a booklet for each camper with photos of camp activities and their fellow campers and counselors.

Change comes

The first mailings Rosemary and Joyce worked on went to 25 households. That jumped to nearly 300 after Harbor Hospice completed a joint venture with Trinity Health At Home!

Rosemary still volunteers three times a month at the Poppen. Since COVID precautions were put in place, her responsibilities include taking each visitor’s temperature and reminding them of the limit of three visitors per patient. Joyce thought about retiring from volunteering when COVID hit, but now she is eager to return.

The organization is bigger than when they started and they no longer know everyone. Still, they agree that one of the best reasons to volunteer continues—it feels good to help others.

“There are so many ways to volunteer,” says Joyce. “We focus on what we can give.”

NEWSLETTER STAFF

Susan Houseman, President/CEO

Ammy

Richard Vanderputte-McPherson,

They met as volunteers and became close friends

Still, they agree that one of the best reasons to volunteer continues—it feels good to help others.

Joyce Busman & Rosemary Michalski