Circles of Care Spring/Summer 2022 Newsletter

Non-Profit Org. U.S. POSTAGE

A NEWSLETTER PUBLICATION/TWICE A YEAR Spring Summer 2022/2023 Newsletter Vol.29 No.1 NEWSLETTER STAFF Susan Houseman, President/CEO Ammy Seymour, Director of Development Richard Vanderputte-McPherson, Communications Specialist Sheila B. Warners and Flo Glass, Graphics

We are pleased to announce that after two years of creating meaningful ways to bring Camp Courage to children in their homes, we’re planning to hold it in person this summer!

Please help us maintain accurate records for m ­ ailings.

Name and address printed correctly? Wish to unsubscribe or receiving more copies than necessary? Email info@HarborHospiceMI.org or call 1.800.497.9559. Thank you.

First, we offer you our gratitude. Finding a way to support grieving children in the midst of COVID, when we could not hold Camp Courage in person, was of great importance to us. When a child loses someone they love, often the adults they would go to for comfort are also grieving and can’t offer much help. Surrounded by sadness and silence, unable to find someone to listen to them or answer their questions, children can become fearful or angry, and their unresolved pain can surface for years.

Connect with us on Haven’t signed up for e-Hospice stories and news? Stay up to date by signing up on our website HarborHospiceMI.org

MUSKEGON, MI PERMIT NO. 231

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

Circles of Care Spring Summer 2022/2023 Newsletter Vol.29 No.1

Four Decades

of Compassionate Patient Care

by Susan Newhof

Can you imagine a world without hospice care?

Many don’t have to imagine. They remember it clearly.

The last time Roger Morgenstern saw his mother, she was in intensive care, hooked up to tubes and monitors, dying. It is an unforgettable image for Roger. He was 15 years old.

Your support of our improvised camp-athome programs, launched with the onset of COVID in 2020, made it possible for us to continue to reach out to children.

Throughout the summer months, we sent them activity packages and age-appropriate books about loss, posted welcome videos, and hosted online conversations during which no child’s question went unanswered.

John Mulder’s father died of cancer in the early 1980s. “He suffered,” remembers John. “My family suffered. As a fledgling doctor, they looked to me to do something. I thought there must be a better way, but at the time, there was not.”

Look for the latest edition of Harbor Hospice Touching Lives magazine in your physician’s office. Within its cover, you will find national story, Biggest Lies We Tell Ourselves, as well as local articles Palliative and Hospice Care Give Deb and Rick Time to Love, Hope, and Live, and more.

If you would like copies for your church, organization or business, please email or call us today.

Thankfully, changes would come soon. On November 1, 1983 a ruling provided Medicare coverage for hospice care for those who were terminally ill, and we moved into a new era of compassionate health care.

Calendar of 2022 Events Support of fundraising events helps us continue to provide hospice and palliative care to patients throughout our region regardless of insurance reimbursements or their ability to pay for care.

The children loved it and felt a sense of camaraderie with other campers, even though they met virtually. And our grief counselors were able to stay in touch with the children to see how they were doing.

We owe so much to visionary leaders who four years earlier formed a steering committee to explore hospice care opportunities in Muskegon County. Sue Wierengo did a feasibility study and made the case that this unfamiliar—and sometimes unappreciated—concept should not be aligned with another health organization but, instead, be presented as an entirely new way of caring for people at the end of their lives. With that as a goal, Hospice of Muskegon County, freestanding and volunteerbased, was incorporated in 1982. Sue became founding director, and the first patient was accepted in January 1983.

For more information or register for special events, please visit HarborHospiceMI.org. Please follow Facebook or Twitter @ HarborHospiceMI or our website for details. Questions about future events, or other educational opportunities? Please call us at 231.782.3442 / 1.800.497.9559 or email us at info@HarborHospiceMI.org to discuss.

The children will also take part in creative, healing activities to help them remember the person they love so much and to learn how they can grieve in healthy ways. Their experiences at Camp Courage will give them tools they can draw on years from now when they face other difficult situations.

Because we have seen how lifechanging Camp Courage can be for a child, we charge only a $10 application fee, which we waive if needed. We don’t want the cost to stop any girl or boy from being able to attend. And that is why we reach out to you each spring and ask for support.

Camp Courage will be held June 17 through 19. Our cost for three days and two nights of meals, lodging, staff and supplies is about $550 per child.

Please consider making a gift to the Harbor Hospice Foundation on behalf of campers so we can continue to make this milestone experience available.

Your donation of any amount is a compassionate investment in a child’s future.

The 41st Annual Fruitport Old Fashioned Days 5K will be held in conjunction with the 16th Annual Ride to Remember with proceeds benefiting the Leila & Cyrus Poppen Hospice Residence, a program of Harbor Hospice.

Runners, joggers and walkers welcome for 5K! Race begins 8:30 AM. This is an out and back course that will take you through the rolling hills of Fruitport.

Refreshments and awards ceremony to follow.

MAY

children and doing traditional camp activities with them such as swimming, crafts, and making s’mores around the campfire.

Bike ride after running or bring your family for the leisurely bike ride around Spring Lake. Bike ride begins at 10:30 AM. Riders 16 age and under must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Safety comes first, we encourage everyone to wear a helmet.

29th Annual Camp Courage— June 17-19

Camp Courage is a weekend overnight camp for children and teens ages 6–19 who are grieving the death of a loved one. Under the guidance of professional counselors and trained volunteers, campers enjoy traditional summer camp

Camp Courage 2022 will be held at Pioneer Trails on Big Blue Lake in Muskegon County. Applications are available online at HarborHospiceMI. org or by calling 231.728.3442 or 1.800.497.9559. Due to generous support from Harbor Hospice and our community, the only cost to attend camp is a $10 registration fee Application deadline is May 10, 2022.

Harbor Hospice Regatta and Awards — Wednesday, August 10

Celebrating its 15th year, West Michigan sailors love this race, and in the past 14 years have helped raise over $400,000 to support local hospice and palliative care.

Regatta race open to sailors and held at the Muskegon Yacht Club.

R E G A T T A

Community Remembrance — Monday, September 19 Join us at the 9th annual program encompassing beautiful music, readings, and bulb planting to help individuals and families in the communities we serve to both mourn the death and honor the life of a loved one. This program is open to anyone who has had a loss and need not have had hospice care. The annual Community Remembrance is held at the Heritage Memorial Garden located downtown Muskegon. Local community supporter, Pam Babbitt, developed the beautiful garden in honor of her late husband.

Horses for Harbor Hospice — Saturday, September 10

A unique and fun experience awaits you at the first Horses for Harbor Hospice hosted by one our very own nursing assistants.

This memorable day will feature a day for equestrians, family and friends and feature trail riding, hayrides, silent auction, raffle, cornhole tournament, and more. Registration and sponsorship opportunities available soon—stay tuned!

OCTOBER

Join our team, sponsors, and volunteers for a run, jog, walk or ride in memory or honor of our loved ones. Register and crowdfund online for both events.

fun combined with grief support activities to address their losses. Camp Courage provides a safe environment for children and teens to express their thoughts and feelings, and to recognize that they are not alone in their grief.

AUGUST SEPT

Run and Ride to Remember — Saturday, May 28 or virtually May 21–28

JUNE

This summer, with COVID numbers decreasing, vaccines available for children, and health protocols in place, we are moving ahead with in-person sleepover camp!

We look forward to gathering with the

Pictures taken by Melanie Dekkers, Photographer

PAID

A Celebration for the Harbor Hospice Foundation — Beanies, Brunch & Brews — Saturday, October 22

Transforming end-of-life care Mary Anne Gorman, a licensed social worker, was invited to serve on the first board of directors. In September 1984, she became the first on-staff social worker, a position Medicare required as part of an interdisciplinary hospice team that included a physician, registered nurse, chaplain and consulting pharmacist plus others involved in specific patient services. That team concept and the holistic offering of physical, social, psychological, and spiritual care became the hallmark of hospice care.

John Mulder’s helpless feeling as he witnessed his father’s difficult passing left a deep impression. In 1984, as a new doctor in Muskegon, he accepted an invitation to join the board of Hospice of Muskegon County and later became medical director.

Telling the story

front of Hart shorn Centre

During the early years, much effort focused on educating the community about the role of hospice care and the broad support it could provide to terminally ill patients and their families. Still, recommendations to call in a hospice provider were often met with resistance.

Asaline Scott’s husband, John, was the Muskegon County Health Department director and public health officer. After having surgeries and chemotherapy treatments for advanced colon cancer that had been mis-diagnosed for a year, doctors encouraged Asaline to arrange hospice care for John.

“I said no,” recalls Asaline. “I thought you call hospice when you’re going to die. I am a believer and I believe in miracles. I was certain God would heal John.”

John wanted to stop treatment and go home. But Asaline wanted him to remain in the hospital and continue treatment, and their seven children stood with her. John died in the hospital.

“I just felt to bring him home meant certain death,” Asaline says, remembering that painful time. “Now I understand it’s not about us. When I talk with people who have a loved one who wants to be home at the end of life, I tell them to call Harbor Hospice.

Patients need to be able to have a say in how they die.”

Expanding compassionate care opportunities Being cared for at home is not the best option for some patients, so in 2005, we opened the Leila & Cyrus Poppen Hospice Residence. This gracious facility located in Muskegon offers 14 private patient rooms and attentive around-the-clock care.

Knowing that most patients would spend much of their time in bed, the residence was designed to offer peaceful views of gardens, patios, woodlands and walking paths from their pillows.

“I remember being impressed that hospice care was available, and sad that there had been nothing like it for my father,” he recalls.

“There was such enthusiasm and optimism for how it would Mary Anne transform care.”

Gorman und at , foregro Events tt o c S e f Asalin Event o

Employees in the 90’s in

embracing Jean Wiene 2009 Volun r teer of the Year

continued on page 2

The lat e Delo res and Ke Moore, form lly St. M e artin, s r volunteer ocial w orker

The Muskegon Lakeshore will rock, again, in October 2022 when the Harbor Hospice Foundation presents Beanies, Brunch & Brews at Pigeon Hill Brewing Company’s new production facility in Muskegon.

This memorable event will feature great food, outdoor games, bonfires, and tastings of Pigeon Hill’s notable craft beers, wine, and cocktails, all against a backdrop of lively music.

VIP, general admission tickets, and sponsorship packages will be available summer 2022.

The issue we focus on with patients is not about dying.

It is about how each person wants to live in the time they have.

It is about exploring what is sacred, what is important to each of us.

That is what we want to help each patient achieve.

John Mulder, MD

Bonnie Adamczak-Brown was just seven years old when her father died instantly from a heart attack. It was hard for Bonnie and her four sisters to grow up without him, she remembers, and their life changed dramatically.

The Hospice Senior Leadership Team

en opp rus P idence y C Res ila & e Le Hospice t Th a y Da rans Vete

RN , Hospice Pam Buit

from Hospice Name change n County to go of Muske Harbor Hospice

Vetera n pinn ing cer emony

Looking ahead

ttschafer, d Marilyn Ro ees Calvin Davis an former employ

“Hospice comes when I call.”

On the strength of its exceptional reputation, Hospice of Muskegon County began receiving requests to expand into neighboring counties. By 2006, the region included Muskegon, Oceana, Ottawa, Newaygo and Mason Counties, and its name was changed to Harbor Hospice.

Palliative care becomes a newly-recognized specialty When Dr. Leonard Wright became medical director in 2000, he shared his passion for a relatively new specialty called palliative care. This targeted support for patients who want to continue aggressive treatment of a serious medical condition addresses the discomfort and stress they often face when dealing with symptoms and medication side effects such as pain, fatigue, nausea and muscle weakness.

Gerald Harriman, DO, followed Dr. Wright as medical director in 2006, and his continued advocacy and determination led to the establishment of Harbor Palliative Care. With his outstanding skills as a clinician and teacher, Dr. Harriman built a specialized team that works together to bring comfort and support to each patient so they can resume doing things that are important to them.

The practice is growing quickly. In 2021, the team provided palliative care to 445 patients, a twenty-one percent increase in one year.

A joint venture expands healthcare options In 2017, Harbor Hospice entered into a joint venture partnership with Trinity Health at Home. The move consolidated services and expanded resources so we could provide care to patients in previously underserved areas of our five-county region. We also became the preferred provider of Mercy Health Muskegon.

Over and over, that is what we hear. We walk alongside our patients and their families through each step of their journey.

That has, from the beginning, been our mission, and for our staff and volunteers it is a calling. We are grateful to each of them for their unparalleled skill and compassion and for keeping Harbor Hospice, Harbor Palliative Care and the Harbor Hospice Foundation running smoothly.

We are also grateful for donors and sponsors whose generosity makes our care possible, and for our steadfast board members who are undaunted by challenges and inspired to embrace opportunities. We look forward to the next 40 years!

The gift of doctors In the early years, a hospice medical director provided important guidance to the organization but seldom had the opportunity to meet with patients.

Now, working closely with our medical team, our doctors make house calls! They regularly visit patients, diagnosing their conditions, explaining how we can help, checking in and tenderly sharing a look at the road ahead.

We offer much gratitude to our extraordinary staff physicians Gerald Harriman, DO, medical director for Harbor Hospice and Harbor Palliative Care; Mary Boyer, MD; Caitlin Fulton, DO; Danielle Sigelko, DO..

To The Next Forty

Our deepest gratitude to friends who offered their thoughts and experiences for this story:

Within this newsletter, we are proud to highlight four decades of service and a legacy of care in West Michigan.

Our story has changed forever the experiences of so many—those who struggle with symptoms and side effects of serious illnesses and treatments, patients coming to the end of their life, and children and adults grieving those they love and lost.

Mary Anne Gorman: From early board member to staff social worker, executive director and champion of philanthropy, Mary Anne has been a skilled, impassioned and influential force behind the growth of this organization for more than 35 years. Through her leadership, the organization deepened its mission, educated the community, and expanded opportunities to provide care.

Roger Morgenstern: When he was introduced to hospice care by a family friend, Roger knew it offered a better way than his mother’s passing. He was instrumental in the campaign to build the Leila & Cyrus Poppen Hospice Residence, where his father lived his last days surrounded by his family. Roger continues to develop financial support for this organization. He has served on the Harbor Hospice and Harbor Hospice Foundation boards, and this year he will chair both.

Adapting to a global pandemic COVID-19 changed the way we provided care, but we did not allow it to close our doors. Masks, gowns and gloves became our uniforms. Technology kept us connected. Meetings shifted smoothly from in-person to online. Counselors developed creative ways to support children and adults grieving the loss of someone they loved, including hosting an interactive virtual Camp Courage.

And we launched Harbor Tele-Health, so face-to-face care can be as close as a telephone or tablet.

John Mulder, MD: His early experiences on the board of directors of Hospice of Muskegon County fueled Dr. Mulder’s interest in end-of-life care, and he never looked back. He is chief medical consultant for hospice and palliative care and executive director of the Trillium Institute, and director of the Division of Palliative Medicine at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine.

We are grateful to the unflagging leadership of medical director Dr. Harriman and Sue Houseman, president and CEO; and to the entire team of staff and volunteers. Day in and day out, despite the challenges of COVID, their commitment to the mission and their focus on the care of patients, family members and those grieving loved ones has never wavered.

Susan Houseman President and CEO

Just think—forty years into the future will bring us to 2062! That date is so hard to imagine when we have been living in the moment through this pandemic, taking each day with its unpredictability. One silver lining in navigating the intensity of change over the last two years is that it demanded of us a level of flexibility, responsiveness and teamwork unlike any other time in our history. At Harbor Hospice, we have emerged from this experience whole and operationally sound with a renewed spirit of hope to embrace all that is to come.

The pandemic also opened our eyes to the pain of having to be separated from those we love as they die and the strain it put on the healthcare labor force. It affirmed that for many, the best place to receive care is at home, surrounded by family and friends.

We also know requests for care at home are greater than ever and will increase. Our aging population continues to grow as baby boomers – the generation that began turning 65 in 2011—will continue to turn 65 through 2029.

With all that is, and will be, expected of them, caring for our staff and making sure they have the training and support they need is essential. We are preparing future clinicians in the specialties of hospice and palliative care by providing clinical rotations for nursing students and physicians.

2 2 0 2 – 2 8 9 1 Education and tra ining O , President and CE Susan Houseman

ty in parade uskegon Coun Hospice of M

irit p s wed e n Re

pe o h of

Most of us have become accustomed to our new virtual world, and it feels fantastic as we finally begin to re-engage in person with our loved ones and friends. Yet, we have found that online communication is very beneficial and can continue to be an important part of how we care for people. Technology has given us options, such as Harbor Tele-Health, so we can connect and serve you in real time while still providing the personal touch that has characterized our forty years of care.

The dynamic mother/daughter duo wanted to do something special to support Camp Courage, so just as they provided snacks in 2018 and 2019, Bonnie, Blaire, and the rest of the Norden/Adamczak Investment Group team are providing additional supplies for the campers and counselors this summer!

The late Sue Arthur, vol unteer, at The Poppen Hospice Residence

Jennifer Egeler, Senior Associate, Bonnie Adamczak-Brown, Senior Vice President, and Blaire Adamczak, Financial Advisor

Our deep gratitude to each of them and especially to Bonnie and Blaire for being enthusiastic cheerleaders for the work of Harbor Hospice.

To all our generous supporters—those giving for today’s needs and those whose gifts will continue our work long into the future—on behalf of all the adults and children whose lives you touch, we offer our deepest gratitude.

–Ammy Seymour, Director of Development, Harbor Hospice Foundation

We are also excited to expand our care with music, massage, and art therapies, which have proven to have a positive impact on quality of life.

As we look back, one thing is certain: change is the only constant in life. We are eager to navigate the changes that lie ahead, and you can rely on us to be here for you if ever you need us.

Congratulations to Dan Poel, 1 of 5 Volunteers are the Foundation of Hospice Award recipients We are honored to announce that Dan Poel, former Harbor Hospice Registered Nurse and volunteer has been awarded NHPCO’s Volunteers are the Foundation of Hospice Award in the area of Organizational Support. Dan was nominated for volunteering during the pandemic to administer over 4,500 COVID-19 test to the hospice and palliative care staff.

The NHPCO Volunteer awards recognize hospice volunteers who best reflect the universal concept of volunteerism in its truest sense— serving as an inspiration to others. The honorees have made significant contributions to hospice programs in the areas of care delivery, organizational support, and teamwork and have stepped up to meet challenges that have been brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Dan is one of five volunteers that were honored at this year’s conference.

Dan Poel Harbor Hospice Volunteer

“Dan demonstrated courage and commitment in the throes of the pandemic to conduct COVID-19 testing for our staff on a weekly basis for months,” said Harbor Hospice President/CEO Susan Houseman. “We are grateful for Dan’s selfless act of service in the most challenging of times. His commitment was a vital and invaluable contribution to keep our staff safe and working.

Dan was committed to keeping our team members safe, along with his wife, Paula, former Harbor Hospice Volunteer Coordinator, who assisted with the clerical forms.

“While providing COVID-19 testing, it was nice to reconnect with staff I had worked with and to also get to know the new staff that joined Harbor Hospice after I retired. I enjoyed being part of the team again and found it gratifying to support the staff. It was nice using my nursing skills again and being able help protect the staff during the pandemic.”

–Dan Poel

Mary Anne Gorm an

and Carol Dodds at Hart Open Ho use

“Imagine how different it would have been if there had been a Camp Courage for them!” says Bonnie’s daughter, Blaire Adamczak, who works with her mother at the Adamczak Investment Group of Raymond James in Norton Shores. Blaire has volunteered at Camp Courage to lead craft activities with the children for a couple years.

at Ha rbor H ospice Regat ta

Contributors

Asaline Scott: Asaline became an advocate for hospice care. She served on the Harbor Hospice board and encourages people to talk about end-of-life options before we need them. She was grateful her father could be home when he died, supported by his family and in the care of Harbor Hospice. When her son, Jeremy, died suddenly of an undiagnosed heart condition at only 24, she learned about Harbor Hospice grief counseling, which helped many of her family members work through their anguish.

The Bob and Merle Scolnik Healing Center, formerly under Mercy Health Hospice, was moved to our home office in downtown Muskegon and has become the heart of our life-changing grief support program.

Bobby Cox

Jim Hansen, Director of Business Operations, Sue Houseman, RN, BSN, NHA, President & CEO, Ammy Seymour, Director of Development, Harbor Hospice Foundation, Gerald Harriman, DO, FAAHPM, Hospice Medical Director & Palliative Care Consulting Physician, Karen Panozzo, RN, Director of Clinical Services

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 Ms. Nancy and Larry* Medema Mr. and Mrs. Eric Mellema 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

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. Mercy 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 Flowers & Gifts

Compassionate

GIVERS

Harbor Hospice Foundation

Arlene DeKam Amanda Olson Amber Wallace Ammy Seymour Blaire Adamczak Bobbie Hilleary Bonnie Kay Adamczak-Brown Chad Shelner Cheri Montambo Connie Learman Darlene Collet Dee Kwiecien Eileen 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 Linda Siscoe Liz Murphy Marilyn Rottschafer Mary Anne Gorman Merica Dobry Mhairi Blacklock Mishelle Comstock Pam Babbitt Pamela Wingard Peggy Jacobs Roger Morgenstern Shannon Enders Shari Simon Susan Crain Susan Houseman Thomas A. Serio Will Meier

Bob Harter, volunteer and Amber Wallace, volunteer coordinator

The Heart Remembers event Team and volunteers at caroling for Poppen event

Bonnie Adamczak-Brown was just seven years old when her father died instantly from a heart attack. It was hard for Bonnie and her four sisters to grow up without him, she remembers, and their life changed dramatically.

The Hospice Senior Leadership Team

en opp rus P idence y C Res ila & e Le Hospice t Th a y Da rans Vete

RN , Hospice Pam Buit

from Hospice Name change n County to go of Muske Harbor Hospice

Vetera n pinn ing cer emony

Looking ahead

ttschafer, d Marilyn Ro ees Calvin Davis an former employ

“Hospice comes when I call.”

On the strength of its exceptional reputation, Hospice of Muskegon County began receiving requests to expand into neighboring counties. By 2006, the region included Muskegon, Oceana, Ottawa, Newaygo and Mason Counties, and its name was changed to Harbor Hospice.

Palliative care becomes a newly-recognized specialty When Dr. Leonard Wright became medical director in 2000, he shared his passion for a relatively new specialty called palliative care. This targeted support for patients who want to continue aggressive treatment of a serious medical condition addresses the discomfort and stress they often face when dealing with symptoms and medication side effects such as pain, fatigue, nausea and muscle weakness.

Gerald Harriman, DO, followed Dr. Wright as medical director in 2006, and his continued advocacy and determination led to the establishment of Harbor Palliative Care. With his outstanding skills as a clinician and teacher, Dr. Harriman built a specialized team that works together to bring comfort and support to each patient so they can resume doing things that are important to them.

The practice is growing quickly. In 2021, the team provided palliative care to 445 patients, a twenty-one percent increase in one year.

A joint venture expands healthcare options In 2017, Harbor Hospice entered into a joint venture partnership with Trinity Health at Home. The move consolidated services and expanded resources so we could provide care to patients in previously underserved areas of our five-county region. We also became the preferred provider of Mercy Health Muskegon.

Over and over, that is what we hear. We walk alongside our patients and their families through each step of their journey.

That has, from the beginning, been our mission, and for our staff and volunteers it is a calling. We are grateful to each of them for their unparalleled skill and compassion and for keeping Harbor Hospice, Harbor Palliative Care and the Harbor Hospice Foundation running smoothly.

We are also grateful for donors and sponsors whose generosity makes our care possible, and for our steadfast board members who are undaunted by challenges and inspired to embrace opportunities. We look forward to the next 40 years!

The gift of doctors In the early years, a hospice medical director provided important guidance to the organization but seldom had the opportunity to meet with patients.

Now, working closely with our medical team, our doctors make house calls! They regularly visit patients, diagnosing their conditions, explaining how we can help, checking in and tenderly sharing a look at the road ahead.

We offer much gratitude to our extraordinary staff physicians Gerald Harriman, DO, medical director for Harbor Hospice and Harbor Palliative Care; Mary Boyer, MD; Caitlin Fulton, DO; Danielle Sigelko, DO..

To The Next Forty

Our deepest gratitude to friends who offered their thoughts and experiences for this story:

Within this newsletter, we are proud to highlight four decades of service and a legacy of care in West Michigan.

Our story has changed forever the experiences of so many—those who struggle with symptoms and side effects of serious illnesses and treatments, patients coming to the end of their life, and children and adults grieving those they love and lost.

Mary Anne Gorman: From early board member to staff social worker, executive director and champion of philanthropy, Mary Anne has been a skilled, impassioned and influential force behind the growth of this organization for more than 35 years. Through her leadership, the organization deepened its mission, educated the community, and expanded opportunities to provide care.

Roger Morgenstern: When he was introduced to hospice care by a family friend, Roger knew it offered a better way than his mother’s passing. He was instrumental in the campaign to build the Leila & Cyrus Poppen Hospice Residence, where his father lived his last days surrounded by his family. Roger continues to develop financial support for this organization. He has served on the Harbor Hospice and Harbor Hospice Foundation boards, and this year he will chair both.

Adapting to a global pandemic COVID-19 changed the way we provided care, but we did not allow it to close our doors. Masks, gowns and gloves became our uniforms. Technology kept us connected. Meetings shifted smoothly from in-person to online. Counselors developed creative ways to support children and adults grieving the loss of someone they loved, including hosting an interactive virtual Camp Courage.

And we launched Harbor Tele-Health, so face-to-face care can be as close as a telephone or tablet.

John Mulder, MD: His early experiences on the board of directors of Hospice of Muskegon County fueled Dr. Mulder’s interest in end-of-life care, and he never looked back. He is chief medical consultant for hospice and palliative care and executive director of the Trillium Institute, and director of the Division of Palliative Medicine at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine.

We are grateful to the unflagging leadership of medical director Dr. Harriman and Sue Houseman, president and CEO; and to the entire team of staff and volunteers. Day in and day out, despite the challenges of COVID, their commitment to the mission and their focus on the care of patients, family members and those grieving loved ones has never wavered.

Susan Houseman President and CEO

Just think—forty years into the future will bring us to 2062! That date is so hard to imagine when we have been living in the moment through this pandemic, taking each day with its unpredictability. One silver lining in navigating the intensity of change over the last two years is that it demanded of us a level of flexibility, responsiveness and teamwork unlike any other time in our history. At Harbor Hospice, we have emerged from this experience whole and operationally sound with a renewed spirit of hope to embrace all that is to come.

The pandemic also opened our eyes to the pain of having to be separated from those we love as they die and the strain it put on the healthcare labor force. It affirmed that for many, the best place to receive care is at home, surrounded by family and friends.

We also know requests for care at home are greater than ever and will increase. Our aging population continues to grow as baby boomers – the generation that began turning 65 in 2011—will continue to turn 65 through 2029.

With all that is, and will be, expected of them, caring for our staff and making sure they have the training and support they need is essential. We are preparing future clinicians in the specialties of hospice and palliative care by providing clinical rotations for nursing students and physicians.

2 2 0 2 – 2 8 9 1 Education and tra ining O , President and CE Susan Houseman

ty in parade uskegon Coun Hospice of M

irit p s wed e n Re

pe o h of

Most of us have become accustomed to our new virtual world, and it feels fantastic as we finally begin to re-engage in person with our loved ones and friends. Yet, we have found that online communication is very beneficial and can continue to be an important part of how we care for people. Technology has given us options, such as Harbor Tele-Health, so we can connect and serve you in real time while still providing the personal touch that has characterized our forty years of care.

The dynamic mother/daughter duo wanted to do something special to support Camp Courage, so just as they provided snacks in 2018 and 2019, Bonnie, Blaire, and the rest of the Norden/Adamczak Investment Group team are providing additional supplies for the campers and counselors this summer!

The late Sue Arthur, vol unteer, at The Poppen Hospice Residence

Jennifer Egeler, Senior Associate, Bonnie Adamczak-Brown, Senior Vice President, and Blaire Adamczak, Financial Advisor

Our deep gratitude to each of them and especially to Bonnie and Blaire for being enthusiastic cheerleaders for the work of Harbor Hospice.

To all our generous supporters—those giving for today’s needs and those whose gifts will continue our work long into the future—on behalf of all the adults and children whose lives you touch, we offer our deepest gratitude.

–Ammy Seymour, Director of Development, Harbor Hospice Foundation

We are also excited to expand our care with music, massage, and art therapies, which have proven to have a positive impact on quality of life.

As we look back, one thing is certain: change is the only constant in life. We are eager to navigate the changes that lie ahead, and you can rely on us to be here for you if ever you need us.

Congratulations to Dan Poel, 1 of 5 Volunteers are the Foundation of Hospice Award recipients We are honored to announce that Dan Poel, former Harbor Hospice Registered Nurse and volunteer has been awarded NHPCO’s Volunteers are the Foundation of Hospice Award in the area of Organizational Support. Dan was nominated for volunteering during the pandemic to administer over 4,500 COVID-19 test to the hospice and palliative care staff.

The NHPCO Volunteer awards recognize hospice volunteers who best reflect the universal concept of volunteerism in its truest sense— serving as an inspiration to others. The honorees have made significant contributions to hospice programs in the areas of care delivery, organizational support, and teamwork and have stepped up to meet challenges that have been brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Dan is one of five volunteers that were honored at this year’s conference.

Dan Poel Harbor Hospice Volunteer

“Dan demonstrated courage and commitment in the throes of the pandemic to conduct COVID-19 testing for our staff on a weekly basis for months,” said Harbor Hospice President/CEO Susan Houseman. “We are grateful for Dan’s selfless act of service in the most challenging of times. His commitment was a vital and invaluable contribution to keep our staff safe and working.

Dan was committed to keeping our team members safe, along with his wife, Paula, former Harbor Hospice Volunteer Coordinator, who assisted with the clerical forms.

“While providing COVID-19 testing, it was nice to reconnect with staff I had worked with and to also get to know the new staff that joined Harbor Hospice after I retired. I enjoyed being part of the team again and found it gratifying to support the staff. It was nice using my nursing skills again and being able help protect the staff during the pandemic.”

–Dan Poel

Mary Anne Gorm an

and Carol Dodds at Hart Open Ho use

“Imagine how different it would have been if there had been a Camp Courage for them!” says Bonnie’s daughter, Blaire Adamczak, who works with her mother at the Adamczak Investment Group of Raymond James in Norton Shores. Blaire has volunteered at Camp Courage to lead craft activities with the children for a couple years.

at Ha rbor H ospice Regat ta

Contributors

Asaline Scott: Asaline became an advocate for hospice care. She served on the Harbor Hospice board and encourages people to talk about end-of-life options before we need them. She was grateful her father could be home when he died, supported by his family and in the care of Harbor Hospice. When her son, Jeremy, died suddenly of an undiagnosed heart condition at only 24, she learned about Harbor Hospice grief counseling, which helped many of her family members work through their anguish.

The Bob and Merle Scolnik Healing Center, formerly under Mercy Health Hospice, was moved to our home office in downtown Muskegon and has become the heart of our life-changing grief support program.

Bobby Cox

Jim Hansen, Director of Business Operations, Sue Houseman, RN, BSN, NHA, President & CEO, Ammy Seymour, Director of Development, Harbor Hospice Foundation, Gerald Harriman, DO, FAAHPM, Hospice Medical Director & Palliative Care Consulting Physician, Karen Panozzo, RN, Director of Clinical Services

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 Ms. Nancy and Larry* Medema Mr. and Mrs. Eric Mellema 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

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. Mercy 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 Flowers & Gifts

Compassionate

GIVERS

Harbor Hospice Foundation

Arlene DeKam Amanda Olson Amber Wallace Ammy Seymour Blaire Adamczak Bobbie Hilleary Bonnie Kay Adamczak-Brown Chad Shelner Cheri Montambo Connie Learman Darlene Collet Dee Kwiecien Eileen 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 Linda Siscoe Liz Murphy Marilyn Rottschafer Mary Anne Gorman Merica Dobry Mhairi Blacklock Mishelle Comstock Pam Babbitt Pamela Wingard Peggy Jacobs Roger Morgenstern Shannon Enders Shari Simon Susan Crain Susan Houseman Thomas A. Serio Will Meier

Bob Harter, volunteer and Amber Wallace, volunteer coordinator

The Heart Remembers event Team and volunteers at caroling for Poppen event

Bonnie Adamczak-Brown was just seven years old when her father died instantly from a heart attack. It was hard for Bonnie and her four sisters to grow up without him, she remembers, and their life changed dramatically.

The Hospice Senior Leadership Team

en opp rus P idence y C Res ila & e Le Hospice t Th a y Da rans Vete

RN , Hospice Pam Buit

from Hospice Name change n County to go of Muske Harbor Hospice

Vetera n pinn ing cer emony

Looking ahead

ttschafer, d Marilyn Ro ees Calvin Davis an former employ

“Hospice comes when I call.”

On the strength of its exceptional reputation, Hospice of Muskegon County began receiving requests to expand into neighboring counties. By 2006, the region included Muskegon, Oceana, Ottawa, Newaygo and Mason Counties, and its name was changed to Harbor Hospice.

Palliative care becomes a newly-recognized specialty When Dr. Leonard Wright became medical director in 2000, he shared his passion for a relatively new specialty called palliative care. This targeted support for patients who want to continue aggressive treatment of a serious medical condition addresses the discomfort and stress they often face when dealing with symptoms and medication side effects such as pain, fatigue, nausea and muscle weakness.

Gerald Harriman, DO, followed Dr. Wright as medical director in 2006, and his continued advocacy and determination led to the establishment of Harbor Palliative Care. With his outstanding skills as a clinician and teacher, Dr. Harriman built a specialized team that works together to bring comfort and support to each patient so they can resume doing things that are important to them.

The practice is growing quickly. In 2021, the team provided palliative care to 445 patients, a twenty-one percent increase in one year.

A joint venture expands healthcare options In 2017, Harbor Hospice entered into a joint venture partnership with Trinity Health at Home. The move consolidated services and expanded resources so we could provide care to patients in previously underserved areas of our five-county region. We also became the preferred provider of Mercy Health Muskegon.

Over and over, that is what we hear. We walk alongside our patients and their families through each step of their journey.

That has, from the beginning, been our mission, and for our staff and volunteers it is a calling. We are grateful to each of them for their unparalleled skill and compassion and for keeping Harbor Hospice, Harbor Palliative Care and the Harbor Hospice Foundation running smoothly.

We are also grateful for donors and sponsors whose generosity makes our care possible, and for our steadfast board members who are undaunted by challenges and inspired to embrace opportunities. We look forward to the next 40 years!

The gift of doctors In the early years, a hospice medical director provided important guidance to the organization but seldom had the opportunity to meet with patients.

Now, working closely with our medical team, our doctors make house calls! They regularly visit patients, diagnosing their conditions, explaining how we can help, checking in and tenderly sharing a look at the road ahead.

We offer much gratitude to our extraordinary staff physicians Gerald Harriman, DO, medical director for Harbor Hospice and Harbor Palliative Care; Mary Boyer, MD; Caitlin Fulton, DO; Danielle Sigelko, DO..

To The Next Forty

Our deepest gratitude to friends who offered their thoughts and experiences for this story:

Within this newsletter, we are proud to highlight four decades of service and a legacy of care in West Michigan.

Our story has changed forever the experiences of so many—those who struggle with symptoms and side effects of serious illnesses and treatments, patients coming to the end of their life, and children and adults grieving those they love and lost.

Mary Anne Gorman: From early board member to staff social worker, executive director and champion of philanthropy, Mary Anne has been a skilled, impassioned and influential force behind the growth of this organization for more than 35 years. Through her leadership, the organization deepened its mission, educated the community, and expanded opportunities to provide care.

Roger Morgenstern: When he was introduced to hospice care by a family friend, Roger knew it offered a better way than his mother’s passing. He was instrumental in the campaign to build the Leila & Cyrus Poppen Hospice Residence, where his father lived his last days surrounded by his family. Roger continues to develop financial support for this organization. He has served on the Harbor Hospice and Harbor Hospice Foundation boards, and this year he will chair both.

Adapting to a global pandemic COVID-19 changed the way we provided care, but we did not allow it to close our doors. Masks, gowns and gloves became our uniforms. Technology kept us connected. Meetings shifted smoothly from in-person to online. Counselors developed creative ways to support children and adults grieving the loss of someone they loved, including hosting an interactive virtual Camp Courage.

And we launched Harbor Tele-Health, so face-to-face care can be as close as a telephone or tablet.

John Mulder, MD: His early experiences on the board of directors of Hospice of Muskegon County fueled Dr. Mulder’s interest in end-of-life care, and he never looked back. He is chief medical consultant for hospice and palliative care and executive director of the Trillium Institute, and director of the Division of Palliative Medicine at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine.

We are grateful to the unflagging leadership of medical director Dr. Harriman and Sue Houseman, president and CEO; and to the entire team of staff and volunteers. Day in and day out, despite the challenges of COVID, their commitment to the mission and their focus on the care of patients, family members and those grieving loved ones has never wavered.

Susan Houseman President and CEO

Just think—forty years into the future will bring us to 2062! That date is so hard to imagine when we have been living in the moment through this pandemic, taking each day with its unpredictability. One silver lining in navigating the intensity of change over the last two years is that it demanded of us a level of flexibility, responsiveness and teamwork unlike any other time in our history. At Harbor Hospice, we have emerged from this experience whole and operationally sound with a renewed spirit of hope to embrace all that is to come.

The pandemic also opened our eyes to the pain of having to be separated from those we love as they die and the strain it put on the healthcare labor force. It affirmed that for many, the best place to receive care is at home, surrounded by family and friends.

We also know requests for care at home are greater than ever and will increase. Our aging population continues to grow as baby boomers – the generation that began turning 65 in 2011—will continue to turn 65 through 2029.

With all that is, and will be, expected of them, caring for our staff and making sure they have the training and support they need is essential. We are preparing future clinicians in the specialties of hospice and palliative care by providing clinical rotations for nursing students and physicians.

2 2 0 2 – 2 8 9 1 Education and tra ining O , President and CE Susan Houseman

ty in parade uskegon Coun Hospice of M

irit p s wed e n Re

pe o h of

Most of us have become accustomed to our new virtual world, and it feels fantastic as we finally begin to re-engage in person with our loved ones and friends. Yet, we have found that online communication is very beneficial and can continue to be an important part of how we care for people. Technology has given us options, such as Harbor Tele-Health, so we can connect and serve you in real time while still providing the personal touch that has characterized our forty years of care.

The dynamic mother/daughter duo wanted to do something special to support Camp Courage, so just as they provided snacks in 2018 and 2019, Bonnie, Blaire, and the rest of the Norden/Adamczak Investment Group team are providing additional supplies for the campers and counselors this summer!

The late Sue Arthur, vol unteer, at The Poppen Hospice Residence

Jennifer Egeler, Senior Associate, Bonnie Adamczak-Brown, Senior Vice President, and Blaire Adamczak, Financial Advisor

Our deep gratitude to each of them and especially to Bonnie and Blaire for being enthusiastic cheerleaders for the work of Harbor Hospice.

To all our generous supporters—those giving for today’s needs and those whose gifts will continue our work long into the future—on behalf of all the adults and children whose lives you touch, we offer our deepest gratitude.

–Ammy Seymour, Director of Development, Harbor Hospice Foundation

We are also excited to expand our care with music, massage, and art therapies, which have proven to have a positive impact on quality of life.

As we look back, one thing is certain: change is the only constant in life. We are eager to navigate the changes that lie ahead, and you can rely on us to be here for you if ever you need us.

Congratulations to Dan Poel, 1 of 5 Volunteers are the Foundation of Hospice Award recipients We are honored to announce that Dan Poel, former Harbor Hospice Registered Nurse and volunteer has been awarded NHPCO’s Volunteers are the Foundation of Hospice Award in the area of Organizational Support. Dan was nominated for volunteering during the pandemic to administer over 4,500 COVID-19 test to the hospice and palliative care staff.

The NHPCO Volunteer awards recognize hospice volunteers who best reflect the universal concept of volunteerism in its truest sense— serving as an inspiration to others. The honorees have made significant contributions to hospice programs in the areas of care delivery, organizational support, and teamwork and have stepped up to meet challenges that have been brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Dan is one of five volunteers that were honored at this year’s conference.

Dan Poel Harbor Hospice Volunteer

“Dan demonstrated courage and commitment in the throes of the pandemic to conduct COVID-19 testing for our staff on a weekly basis for months,” said Harbor Hospice President/CEO Susan Houseman. “We are grateful for Dan’s selfless act of service in the most challenging of times. His commitment was a vital and invaluable contribution to keep our staff safe and working.

Dan was committed to keeping our team members safe, along with his wife, Paula, former Harbor Hospice Volunteer Coordinator, who assisted with the clerical forms.

“While providing COVID-19 testing, it was nice to reconnect with staff I had worked with and to also get to know the new staff that joined Harbor Hospice after I retired. I enjoyed being part of the team again and found it gratifying to support the staff. It was nice using my nursing skills again and being able help protect the staff during the pandemic.”

–Dan Poel

Mary Anne Gorm an

and Carol Dodds at Hart Open Ho use

“Imagine how different it would have been if there had been a Camp Courage for them!” says Bonnie’s daughter, Blaire Adamczak, who works with her mother at the Adamczak Investment Group of Raymond James in Norton Shores. Blaire has volunteered at Camp Courage to lead craft activities with the children for a couple years.

at Ha rbor H ospice Regat ta

Contributors

Asaline Scott: Asaline became an advocate for hospice care. She served on the Harbor Hospice board and encourages people to talk about end-of-life options before we need them. She was grateful her father could be home when he died, supported by his family and in the care of Harbor Hospice. When her son, Jeremy, died suddenly of an undiagnosed heart condition at only 24, she learned about Harbor Hospice grief counseling, which helped many of her family members work through their anguish.

The Bob and Merle Scolnik Healing Center, formerly under Mercy Health Hospice, was moved to our home office in downtown Muskegon and has become the heart of our life-changing grief support program.

Bobby Cox

Jim Hansen, Director of Business Operations, Sue Houseman, RN, BSN, NHA, President & CEO, Ammy Seymour, Director of Development, Harbor Hospice Foundation, Gerald Harriman, DO, FAAHPM, Hospice Medical Director & Palliative Care Consulting Physician, Karen Panozzo, RN, Director of Clinical Services

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 Ms. Nancy and Larry* Medema Mr. and Mrs. Eric Mellema 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

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. Mercy 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 Flowers & Gifts

Compassionate

GIVERS

Harbor Hospice Foundation

Arlene DeKam Amanda Olson Amber Wallace Ammy Seymour Blaire Adamczak Bobbie Hilleary Bonnie Kay Adamczak-Brown Chad Shelner Cheri Montambo Connie Learman Darlene Collet Dee Kwiecien Eileen 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 Linda Siscoe Liz Murphy Marilyn Rottschafer Mary Anne Gorman Merica Dobry Mhairi Blacklock Mishelle Comstock Pam Babbitt Pamela Wingard Peggy Jacobs Roger Morgenstern Shannon Enders Shari Simon Susan Crain Susan Houseman Thomas A. Serio Will Meier

Bob Harter, volunteer and Amber Wallace, volunteer coordinator

The Heart Remembers event Team and volunteers at caroling for Poppen event

Non-Profit Org. U.S. POSTAGE

A NEWSLETTER PUBLICATION/TWICE A YEAR Spring Summer 2022/2023 Newsletter Vol.29 No.1 NEWSLETTER STAFF Susan Houseman, President/CEO Ammy Seymour, Director of Development Richard Vanderputte-McPherson, Communications Specialist Sheila B. Warners and Flo Glass, Graphics

We are pleased to announce that after two years of creating meaningful ways to bring Camp Courage to children in their homes, we’re planning to hold it in person this summer!

Please help us maintain accurate records for m ­ ailings.

Name and address printed correctly? Wish to unsubscribe or receiving more copies than necessary? Email info@HarborHospiceMI.org or call 1.800.497.9559. Thank you.

First, we offer you our gratitude. Finding a way to support grieving children in the midst of COVID, when we could not hold Camp Courage in person, was of great importance to us. When a child loses someone they love, often the adults they would go to for comfort are also grieving and can’t offer much help. Surrounded by sadness and silence, unable to find someone to listen to them or answer their questions, children can become fearful or angry, and their unresolved pain can surface for years.

Connect with us on Haven’t signed up for e-Hospice stories and news? Stay up to date by signing up on our website HarborHospiceMI.org

MUSKEGON, MI PERMIT NO. 231

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

Circles of Care Spring Summer 2022/2023 Newsletter Vol.29 No.1

Four Decades

of Compassionate Patient Care

by Susan Newhof

Can you imagine a world without hospice care?

Many don’t have to imagine. They remember it clearly.

The last time Roger Morgenstern saw his mother, she was in intensive care, hooked up to tubes and monitors, dying. It is an unforgettable image for Roger. He was 15 years old.

Your support of our improvised camp-athome programs, launched with the onset of COVID in 2020, made it possible for us to continue to reach out to children.

Throughout the summer months, we sent them activity packages and age-appropriate books about loss, posted welcome videos, and hosted online conversations during which no child’s question went unanswered.

John Mulder’s father died of cancer in the early 1980s. “He suffered,” remembers John. “My family suffered. As a fledgling doctor, they looked to me to do something. I thought there must be a better way, but at the time, there was not.”

Look for the latest edition of Harbor Hospice Touching Lives magazine in your physician’s office. Within its cover, you will find national story, Biggest Lies We Tell Ourselves, as well as local articles Palliative and Hospice Care Give Deb and Rick Time to Love, Hope, and Live, and more.

If you would like copies for your church, organization or business, please email or call us today.

Thankfully, changes would come soon. On November 1, 1983 a ruling provided Medicare coverage for hospice care for those who were terminally ill, and we moved into a new era of compassionate health care.

Calendar of 2022 Events Support of fundraising events helps us continue to provide hospice and palliative care to patients throughout our region regardless of insurance reimbursements or their ability to pay for care.

The children loved it and felt a sense of camaraderie with other campers, even though they met virtually. And our grief counselors were able to stay in touch with the children to see how they were doing.

We owe so much to visionary leaders who four years earlier formed a steering committee to explore hospice care opportunities in Muskegon County. Sue Wierengo did a feasibility study and made the case that this unfamiliar—and sometimes unappreciated—concept should not be aligned with another health organization but, instead, be presented as an entirely new way of caring for people at the end of their lives. With that as a goal, Hospice of Muskegon County, freestanding and volunteerbased, was incorporated in 1982. Sue became founding director, and the first patient was accepted in January 1983.

For more information or register for special events, please visit HarborHospiceMI.org. Please follow Facebook or Twitter @ HarborHospiceMI or our website for details. Questions about future events, or other educational opportunities? Please call us at 231.782.3442 / 1.800.497.9559 or email us at info@HarborHospiceMI.org to discuss.

The children will also take part in creative, healing activities to help them remember the person they love so much and to learn how they can grieve in healthy ways. Their experiences at Camp Courage will give them tools they can draw on years from now when they face other difficult situations.

Because we have seen how lifechanging Camp Courage can be for a child, we charge only a $10 application fee, which we waive if needed. We don’t want the cost to stop any girl or boy from being able to attend. And that is why we reach out to you each spring and ask for support.

Camp Courage will be held June 17 through 19. Our cost for three days and two nights of meals, lodging, staff and supplies is about $550 per child.

Please consider making a gift to the Harbor Hospice Foundation on behalf of campers so we can continue to make this milestone experience available.

Your donation of any amount is a compassionate investment in a child’s future.

The 41st Annual Fruitport Old Fashioned Days 5K will be held in conjunction with the 16th Annual Ride to Remember with proceeds benefiting the Leila & Cyrus Poppen Hospice Residence, a program of Harbor Hospice.

Runners, joggers and walkers welcome for 5K! Race begins 8:30 AM. This is an out and back course that will take you through the rolling hills of Fruitport.

Refreshments and awards ceremony to follow.

MAY

children and doing traditional camp activities with them such as swimming, crafts, and making s’mores around the campfire.

Bike ride after running or bring your family for the leisurely bike ride around Spring Lake. Bike ride begins at 10:30 AM. Riders 16 age and under must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Safety comes first, we encourage everyone to wear a helmet.

29th Annual Camp Courage— June 17-19

Camp Courage is a weekend overnight camp for children and teens ages 6–19 who are grieving the death of a loved one. Under the guidance of professional counselors and trained volunteers, campers enjoy traditional summer camp

Camp Courage 2022 will be held at Pioneer Trails on Big Blue Lake in Muskegon County. Applications are available online at HarborHospiceMI. org or by calling 231.728.3442 or 1.800.497.9559. Due to generous support from Harbor Hospice and our community, the only cost to attend camp is a $10 registration fee Application deadline is May 10, 2022.

Harbor Hospice Regatta and Awards — Wednesday, August 10

Celebrating its 15th year, West Michigan sailors love this race, and in the past 14 years have helped raise over $400,000 to support local hospice and palliative care.

Regatta race open to sailors and held at the Muskegon Yacht Club.

R E G A T T A

Community Remembrance — Monday, September 19 Join us at the 9th annual program encompassing beautiful music, readings, and bulb planting to help individuals and families in the communities we serve to both mourn the death and honor the life of a loved one. This program is open to anyone who has had a loss and need not have had hospice care. The annual Community Remembrance is held at the Heritage Memorial Garden located downtown Muskegon. Local community supporter, Pam Babbitt, developed the beautiful garden in honor of her late husband.

Horses for Harbor Hospice — Saturday, September 10

A unique and fun experience awaits you at the first Horses for Harbor Hospice hosted by one our very own nursing assistants.

This memorable day will feature a day for equestrians, family and friends and feature trail riding, hayrides, silent auction, raffle, cornhole tournament, and more. Registration and sponsorship opportunities available soon—stay tuned!

OCTOBER

Join our team, sponsors, and volunteers for a run, jog, walk or ride in memory or honor of our loved ones. Register and crowdfund online for both events.

fun combined with grief support activities to address their losses. Camp Courage provides a safe environment for children and teens to express their thoughts and feelings, and to recognize that they are not alone in their grief.

AUGUST SEPT

Run and Ride to Remember — Saturday, May 28 or virtually May 21–28

JUNE

This summer, with COVID numbers decreasing, vaccines available for children, and health protocols in place, we are moving ahead with in-person sleepover camp!

We look forward to gathering with the

Pictures taken by Melanie Dekkers, Photographer

PAID

A Celebration for the Harbor Hospice Foundation — Beanies, Brunch & Brews — Saturday, October 22

Transforming end-of-life care Mary Anne Gorman, a licensed social worker, was invited to serve on the first board of directors. In September 1984, she became the first on-staff social worker, a position Medicare required as part of an interdisciplinary hospice team that included a physician, registered nurse, chaplain and consulting pharmacist plus others involved in specific patient services. That team concept and the holistic offering of physical, social, psychological, and spiritual care became the hallmark of hospice care.

John Mulder’s helpless feeling as he witnessed his father’s difficult passing left a deep impression. In 1984, as a new doctor in Muskegon, he accepted an invitation to join the board of Hospice of Muskegon County and later became medical director.

Telling the story

front of Hart shorn Centre

During the early years, much effort focused on educating the community about the role of hospice care and the broad support it could provide to terminally ill patients and their families. Still, recommendations to call in a hospice provider were often met with resistance.

Asaline Scott’s husband, John, was the Muskegon County Health Department director and public health officer. After having surgeries and chemotherapy treatments for advanced colon cancer that had been mis-diagnosed for a year, doctors encouraged Asaline to arrange hospice care for John.

“I said no,” recalls Asaline. “I thought you call hospice when you’re going to die. I am a believer and I believe in miracles. I was certain God would heal John.”

John wanted to stop treatment and go home. But Asaline wanted him to remain in the hospital and continue treatment, and their seven children stood with her. John died in the hospital.

“I just felt to bring him home meant certain death,” Asaline says, remembering that painful time. “Now I understand it’s not about us. When I talk with people who have a loved one who wants to be home at the end of life, I tell them to call Harbor Hospice.

Patients need to be able to have a say in how they die.”

Expanding compassionate care opportunities Being cared for at home is not the best option for some patients, so in 2005, we opened the Leila & Cyrus Poppen Hospice Residence. This gracious facility located in Muskegon offers 14 private patient rooms and attentive around-the-clock care.

Knowing that most patients would spend much of their time in bed, the residence was designed to offer peaceful views of gardens, patios, woodlands and walking paths from their pillows.

“I remember being impressed that hospice care was available, and sad that there had been nothing like it for my father,” he recalls.

“There was such enthusiasm and optimism for how it would Mary Anne transform care.”

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The Muskegon Lakeshore will rock, again, in October 2022 when the Harbor Hospice Foundation presents Beanies, Brunch & Brews at Pigeon Hill Brewing Company’s new production facility in Muskegon.

This memorable event will feature great food, outdoor games, bonfires, and tastings of Pigeon Hill’s notable craft beers, wine, and cocktails, all against a backdrop of lively music.

VIP, general admission tickets, and sponsorship packages will be available summer 2022.

The issue we focus on with patients is not about dying.

It is about how each person wants to live in the time they have.

It is about exploring what is sacred, what is important to each of us.

That is what we want to help each patient achieve.

John Mulder, MD

Non-Profit Org. U.S. POSTAGE

A NEWSLETTER PUBLICATION/TWICE A YEAR Spring Summer 2022/2023 Newsletter Vol.29 No.1 NEWSLETTER STAFF Susan Houseman, President/CEO Ammy Seymour, Director of Development Richard Vanderputte-McPherson, Communications Specialist Sheila B. Warners and Flo Glass, Graphics

We are pleased to announce that after two years of creating meaningful ways to bring Camp Courage to children in their homes, we’re planning to hold it in person this summer!

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First, we offer you our gratitude. Finding a way to support grieving children in the midst of COVID, when we could not hold Camp Courage in person, was of great importance to us. When a child loses someone they love, often the adults they would go to for comfort are also grieving and can’t offer much help. Surrounded by sadness and silence, unable to find someone to listen to them or answer their questions, children can become fearful or angry, and their unresolved pain can surface for years.

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MUSKEGON, MI PERMIT NO. 231

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

Circles of Care Spring Summer 2022/2023 Newsletter Vol.29 No.1

Four Decades

of Compassionate Patient Care

by Susan Newhof

Can you imagine a world without hospice care?

Many don’t have to imagine. They remember it clearly.

The last time Roger Morgenstern saw his mother, she was in intensive care, hooked up to tubes and monitors, dying. It is an unforgettable image for Roger. He was 15 years old.

Your support of our improvised camp-athome programs, launched with the onset of COVID in 2020, made it possible for us to continue to reach out to children.

Throughout the summer months, we sent them activity packages and age-appropriate books about loss, posted welcome videos, and hosted online conversations during which no child’s question went unanswered.

John Mulder’s father died of cancer in the early 1980s. “He suffered,” remembers John. “My family suffered. As a fledgling doctor, they looked to me to do something. I thought there must be a better way, but at the time, there was not.”

Look for the latest edition of Harbor Hospice Touching Lives magazine in your physician’s office. Within its cover, you will find national story, Biggest Lies We Tell Ourselves, as well as local articles Palliative and Hospice Care Give Deb and Rick Time to Love, Hope, and Live, and more.

If you would like copies for your church, organization or business, please email or call us today.

Thankfully, changes would come soon. On November 1, 1983 a ruling provided Medicare coverage for hospice care for those who were terminally ill, and we moved into a new era of compassionate health care.

Calendar of 2022 Events Support of fundraising events helps us continue to provide hospice and palliative care to patients throughout our region regardless of insurance reimbursements or their ability to pay for care.

The children loved it and felt a sense of camaraderie with other campers, even though they met virtually. And our grief counselors were able to stay in touch with the children to see how they were doing.

We owe so much to visionary leaders who four years earlier formed a steering committee to explore hospice care opportunities in Muskegon County. Sue Wierengo did a feasibility study and made the case that this unfamiliar—and sometimes unappreciated—concept should not be aligned with another health organization but, instead, be presented as an entirely new way of caring for people at the end of their lives. With that as a goal, Hospice of Muskegon County, freestanding and volunteerbased, was incorporated in 1982. Sue became founding director, and the first patient was accepted in January 1983.

For more information or register for special events, please visit HarborHospiceMI.org. Please follow Facebook or Twitter @ HarborHospiceMI or our website for details. Questions about future events, or other educational opportunities? Please call us at 231.782.3442 / 1.800.497.9559 or email us at info@HarborHospiceMI.org to discuss.

The children will also take part in creative, healing activities to help them remember the person they love so much and to learn how they can grieve in healthy ways. Their experiences at Camp Courage will give them tools they can draw on years from now when they face other difficult situations.

Because we have seen how lifechanging Camp Courage can be for a child, we charge only a $10 application fee, which we waive if needed. We don’t want the cost to stop any girl or boy from being able to attend. And that is why we reach out to you each spring and ask for support.

Camp Courage will be held June 17 through 19. Our cost for three days and two nights of meals, lodging, staff and supplies is about $550 per child.

Please consider making a gift to the Harbor Hospice Foundation on behalf of campers so we can continue to make this milestone experience available.

Your donation of any amount is a compassionate investment in a child’s future.

The 41st Annual Fruitport Old Fashioned Days 5K will be held in conjunction with the 16th Annual Ride to Remember with proceeds benefiting the Leila & Cyrus Poppen Hospice Residence, a program of Harbor Hospice.

Runners, joggers and walkers welcome for 5K! Race begins 8:30 AM. This is an out and back course that will take you through the rolling hills of Fruitport.

Refreshments and awards ceremony to follow.

MAY

children and doing traditional camp activities with them such as swimming, crafts, and making s’mores around the campfire.

Bike ride after running or bring your family for the leisurely bike ride around Spring Lake. Bike ride begins at 10:30 AM. Riders 16 age and under must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Safety comes first, we encourage everyone to wear a helmet.

29th Annual Camp Courage— June 17-19

Camp Courage is a weekend overnight camp for children and teens ages 6–19 who are grieving the death of a loved one. Under the guidance of professional counselors and trained volunteers, campers enjoy traditional summer camp

Camp Courage 2022 will be held at Pioneer Trails on Big Blue Lake in Muskegon County. Applications are available online at HarborHospiceMI. org or by calling 231.728.3442 or 1.800.497.9559. Due to generous support from Harbor Hospice and our community, the only cost to attend camp is a $10 registration fee Application deadline is May 10, 2022.

Harbor Hospice Regatta and Awards — Wednesday, August 10

Celebrating its 15th year, West Michigan sailors love this race, and in the past 14 years have helped raise over $400,000 to support local hospice and palliative care.

Regatta race open to sailors and held at the Muskegon Yacht Club.

R E G A T T A

Community Remembrance — Monday, September 19 Join us at the 9th annual program encompassing beautiful music, readings, and bulb planting to help individuals and families in the communities we serve to both mourn the death and honor the life of a loved one. This program is open to anyone who has had a loss and need not have had hospice care. The annual Community Remembrance is held at the Heritage Memorial Garden located downtown Muskegon. Local community supporter, Pam Babbitt, developed the beautiful garden in honor of her late husband.

Horses for Harbor Hospice — Saturday, September 10

A unique and fun experience awaits you at the first Horses for Harbor Hospice hosted by one our very own nursing assistants.

This memorable day will feature a day for equestrians, family and friends and feature trail riding, hayrides, silent auction, raffle, cornhole tournament, and more. Registration and sponsorship opportunities available soon—stay tuned!

OCTOBER

Join our team, sponsors, and volunteers for a run, jog, walk or ride in memory or honor of our loved ones. Register and crowdfund online for both events.

fun combined with grief support activities to address their losses. Camp Courage provides a safe environment for children and teens to express their thoughts and feelings, and to recognize that they are not alone in their grief.

AUGUST SEPT

Run and Ride to Remember — Saturday, May 28 or virtually May 21–28

JUNE

This summer, with COVID numbers decreasing, vaccines available for children, and health protocols in place, we are moving ahead with in-person sleepover camp!

We look forward to gathering with the

Pictures taken by Melanie Dekkers, Photographer

PAID

A Celebration for the Harbor Hospice Foundation — Beanies, Brunch & Brews — Saturday, October 22

Transforming end-of-life care Mary Anne Gorman, a licensed social worker, was invited to serve on the first board of directors. In September 1984, she became the first on-staff social worker, a position Medicare required as part of an interdisciplinary hospice team that included a physician, registered nurse, chaplain and consulting pharmacist plus others involved in specific patient services. That team concept and the holistic offering of physical, social, psychological, and spiritual care became the hallmark of hospice care.

John Mulder’s helpless feeling as he witnessed his father’s difficult passing left a deep impression. In 1984, as a new doctor in Muskegon, he accepted an invitation to join the board of Hospice of Muskegon County and later became medical director.

Telling the story

front of Hart shorn Centre

During the early years, much effort focused on educating the community about the role of hospice care and the broad support it could provide to terminally ill patients and their families. Still, recommendations to call in a hospice provider were often met with resistance.

Asaline Scott’s husband, John, was the Muskegon County Health Department director and public health officer. After having surgeries and chemotherapy treatments for advanced colon cancer that had been mis-diagnosed for a year, doctors encouraged Asaline to arrange hospice care for John.

“I said no,” recalls Asaline. “I thought you call hospice when you’re going to die. I am a believer and I believe in miracles. I was certain God would heal John.”

John wanted to stop treatment and go home. But Asaline wanted him to remain in the hospital and continue treatment, and their seven children stood with her. John died in the hospital.

“I just felt to bring him home meant certain death,” Asaline says, remembering that painful time. “Now I understand it’s not about us. When I talk with people who have a loved one who wants to be home at the end of life, I tell them to call Harbor Hospice.

Patients need to be able to have a say in how they die.”

Expanding compassionate care opportunities Being cared for at home is not the best option for some patients, so in 2005, we opened the Leila & Cyrus Poppen Hospice Residence. This gracious facility located in Muskegon offers 14 private patient rooms and attentive around-the-clock care.

Knowing that most patients would spend much of their time in bed, the residence was designed to offer peaceful views of gardens, patios, woodlands and walking paths from their pillows.

“I remember being impressed that hospice care was available, and sad that there had been nothing like it for my father,” he recalls.

“There was such enthusiasm and optimism for how it would Mary Anne transform care.”

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continued on page 2

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The Muskegon Lakeshore will rock, again, in October 2022 when the Harbor Hospice Foundation presents Beanies, Brunch & Brews at Pigeon Hill Brewing Company’s new production facility in Muskegon.

This memorable event will feature great food, outdoor games, bonfires, and tastings of Pigeon Hill’s notable craft beers, wine, and cocktails, all against a backdrop of lively music.

VIP, general admission tickets, and sponsorship packages will be available summer 2022.

The issue we focus on with patients is not about dying.

It is about how each person wants to live in the time they have.

It is about exploring what is sacred, what is important to each of us.

That is what we want to help each patient achieve.

John Mulder, MD