Fall 2023 Newsletter

AUTUMN 2023 A NEWSLETTER FOR DONORS AND FRIENDS OF HOSPICE OF THE CHESAPEAKE FOUNDATION

INSIDE THIS ISSUE Living with Serious Illness

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In the Neighborhood

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Remembering Loved Ones

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What our new chief medical officer wants you to know.

What’s new in Charles and Calvert counties.

How to heal after loss.

WHAT OUR CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER

WANTS YOU TO KNOW At its core, hospice isn’t as much about endings as it is about living, says Chief Medical Officer Marny Fetzer, M.D. Admittedly, choosing hospice is a big decision. But, considering hospice earlier in the process helps people facing serious illness make the most of the time they do have, to embrace life as fully as possible.

Hospice addresses a patient’s discomfort and symptoms, as well as social, emotional, and spiritual needs. Here, Dr. Fetzer tackles three misconceptions about living with serious illness and choosing hospice care.

Hospice is not about giving up.

Hospice is not about stopping everything. It’s about providing the best care possible, giving patients and families choices in what comes next.

The question is, how do you want to live the rest of your life? We meet patients where they are and administer care based on goals our patients have. That could mean everything from seeing a grandchild get married to bringing in medical equipment for a patient to watch the sunrise from a cherished window view. It’s different for every patient and family.

Hospice is about more than the patient.

Life doesn’t stop for caregivers. Our team can help with logistical issues—managing paperwork, obtaining durable medical equipment, caring for someone with a specific medical condition, and changing medical regimens. Through education and anticipatory guidance, we help caregivers address complexities of serious illness. Every person is an eco-system with family, friends, community groups, even pets. Those relationships amplify with a health issue.

Hospice is more than a place.

Hospice is wherever you call home. For most of us, it would mean our residence, or perhaps a nursing home, assisted living facility, or hospital.

When warranted, patients with profound medical requirements or whose caregivers need respite care turn to our inpatient center in Anne Arundel or Waldorf. Hospice is a medical benefit covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and most private insurance plans. In addition to physicians, there are nurses, certified nursing assistants, social workers, chaplains, grief counselors, and volunteers, all of whom believe in this life-affirming work. We provide the right level of care for patients based on medical needs and personal goals. hospicechesapeake.org/news 2

Meet Marny L. Fetzer, MD At Hospice of the Chesapeake since July, Illinois native Marny Fetzer, MD, brings decades of hospice and supportive care experience. Most recently, she was system medical director for palliative and hospice services at Ascension Health in Illinois. Earlier, she was system medical director for palliative medicine and hospice at AMITA Health, also in Illinois.

Dr. Fetzer has a medical degree from Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine, a bachelor’s degree in communication from Loyola University Chicago, and is working toward an MBA from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She completed a fellowship in palliative and hospice medicine at Northwestern Memorial Hospital's Feinberg School of Medicine and a residency (chief resident), in emergency medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago Board-certified in hospice and palliative medicine, Dr. Fetzer has earned hospice medical director and physician executive certifications.

Welcome, Dr. Fetzer!

On the cover: Imagine the conversation between a grandfather and grandson.

Hospice is about moments that matter.

YOUR IMPACT Changing Perceptions about Hospice Care If Rachel Sherman DNP, has her way, conversations you have about end-of-life care will begin before any last goodbyes. As the new director of nursing and clinical advocacy, she’s bringing a practitioner’s perspective and an advocate’s drive to her goal of transforming how people view hospice and supportive care.

“There is a lack of knowledge and understanding about Rachel Sherman hospice, in part, because we provide too little explanation,” she says. “Hospice is about improving quality of life much earlier, often providing more time because of patient-focused care.”

She seeks to address misconceptions and encourage questions among healthcare professionals, patients, families, and community and business leaders. In addition to working with the organization’s nurses, licensed practical nurses, and certified nursing assistants, she’s creating academic alliances with universities and training hospitals. The goal is to create research opportunities to inform best practices. Ultimately, she wants to flip the narrative from death and dying. “Hospice is about all the living that we do.”

In earlier roles at Hospice of the Chesapeake, Sherman was director of medical services and a supportive care nurse practitioner. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing from Trinity Washington University and Chamberlain College of Nursing, respectively, and a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Frontier Nursing University. hospicechesapeake.org/news

Camp Nabi: A Place to Heal How does a young person pick up the pieces when a loved one dies? While counseling eases grief, sometimes the best answers begin with roasting marshmallows, playing games, and crabbing on a river.

This August, Camp Nabi, an overnight grief camp for young mourners, returned after a three-year COVID hiatus. Nearly 40 young people—ages 7 to 17—learned they were not alone in their grief.

Children and teens enjoyed a full camp experience while learning they were not alone in losing someone they loved.

“Children and teens find more healing during an overnight camp experience than with counseling sessions during the year,” says Faith Fitzgerald, DMin., director of community health programs.

Chesapeake Life Center staff and trained volunteers led the weekend camp, held at Arlington Echo in Millersville. Thanks to generous donors like you, scholarships were available to defray the cost of camp.

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Your support made this possible

JACK AND MILLIE A RecordSetting Day On the last day of August, 653 hospice patients, a record number, and thousands of family members turned to our teams in Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, and Prince Georges counties.

Thank you for entrusting your care to us. And thank you to our exceptional team members for your expertise and compassion to every single person we serve.

Thank you,

Jimmy Carter

In February 2023, former president Jimmy Carter capped off a remarkable life of service with one more good deed—shedding light on the importance of hospice. Electing hospice sooner, as Carter did, provides more time for the hospice team to manage pain, reduce stress, and help people focus on what matters.

The federal payor model that led to the founding of the Medicare Hospice Benefit began during Carter’s presidency. Joining with a grateful country, Hospice of the Chesapeake thanks the Carter family for increasing awareness about hospice care.

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Volunteer connection sparks laughter and companionship in final days After a career spent avoiding wrong connections, retired lineman Jack learned about the power of the right touch at Hospice of the Chesapeake as a hospice volunteer.

“I wanted to do something meaningful in retirement,” says Jack. “There is nothing more rewarding than volunteering.” Since his 2019 start, Jack has helped dozens of people and their families. “My job is to make the final journey for everyone as easy as I can.” With the volunteer team, Jack learned to support people with dementia, provide Compassionate Touch therapy, and serve as a vigil volunteer during a patient’s last days and hours.

That training and perspective made Jack the perfect vigil volunteer to match with Millie, a 97-year-old resident at a senior care facility.

“When I met Millie the first time, she was lively,” he remembers. Far from weak and unresponsive, Millie was cheerful and eager to talk. He returned the next day, and the day after that. “I offered to perform Compassionate Touch, massaging her hands and fingers with lotion.” Studies prove the value of touch to ease discomfort, reduce anxiety, and comfort.

“She wouldn’t let me go, holding on as much as she could,” he says. “I held her arm, she held mine.” Jack visited for weeks. Like old friends, they talked and laughed.

Perhaps, you might say, they were smitten with each other. Certainly, Millie was. One day, a nurse brought Millie a colorful quilt crafted by volunteers for patients. “Millie told the nurse her ‘boyfriend’ gave her the blanket,” says Jack. “That boyfriend was me.” Staff remarked how his visits energized Millie.

Sadly, Covid caught up with Jack in December. He could not visit. While he recuperated, Millie’s condition worsened. One night, she passed away, holding the quilt at her side.

“I didn’t see Millie at the end,” he says, with a pause. “I’ll never forget the connection we shared and what it meant to both of us.”

It seems Jack, too, was equally smitten.

*Name changed.

PICTURED ABOVE: Post-retirement, Jack discovered the joy of helping others as a hospice volunteer.

With your help

CARING FOR LIFE SPOTLIGHT | Charles County One of the most significant accomplishments since Hospice of Charles County became part of Hospice of the Chesapeake is the sheer number of patients and families who have received help.

In these three years—marked by a global pandemic and economic challenges—the number of people cared for increased to 85 patients on average each day, versus 35 patients before 2020.

“We built on Charles County’s foundation of care, enhanced by growing partnerships with area healthcare providers,” says Mike Brady, president and CEO. For example, a Hospice of the Chesapeake team member at UM Charles Regional Hospital smooths the transition for patients and families.

There’s more. The Charles County Inpatient Center received a facelift with new patient beds and family seating, new technology, and redesigned spaces. The new Hussman Supportive Care Center has dedicated outpatient services for patients, and private suites for counseling. Further, a new clinical education center with a hands-on simulation lab expands skills of the hospice team.

SPOTLIGHT | Calvert County Calvert Hospice has seen significant growth since becoming part of Hospice of the Chesapeake. The number of patients cared for daily on average doubled from 30 patients in 2021 to 60 patients in 2023. This fall, the Burnett Center for Hope & Healing will open. Designed to help members of the community living with illness, the Center will offer healing practices such as yoga, therapeutic art, music, massage, and support groups. Watch for the November opening.

Also of note, Calvert Hospice received a 2023 Hospice CAHPS Honors Elite Award from HEALTHCAREfirst, a national provider of analytics for hospice organizations. It was the only Maryland hospice to achieve Elite status this year.

The award identifies hospices providing positive experiences, as measured from a Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey of patients and caregivers. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services oversees the survey. Honors Elite recognition singled out hospices scoring above national performance scores 100% of questions.

TOP: Nearly 60 community leaders attended a July gathering at the home of Mac Middleton, former State Senator from Charles County. Pictured from left: Charles County Board of Commissioners President Reuben B. Collins II, LaPlata Mayor Jeannine James, State Senator Michael Jackson, Mac Middleton, and Hospice of the Chesapeake President and CEO Mike Brady.

BOTTOM: In May, Calvert County supporters enjoyed the 10th Annual Culinary event, held at The Hall at Huntingtown. From left: Tim Johnson, Theresa Johnson, Kathy MacAdams, Dana Bustin, Kathy Maney, Bonnie Barrett, Shirley Ireland, and Todd Ireland 5

Remembering loved ones

A HEALING EXPERIENCE One more conversation. One more story.

One more I love you.

What if you had a chance to talk to a loved one who is no longer here? Under construction this fall, a Phone of the Wind at Hospice of the Chesapeake’s Pasadena campus invites you to do just that.

Unwired and unconnected to any network, the Phone of the Wind features a vintage rotary telephone and an invitation. Call the person you miss. Dial the telephone number you’ve never forgotten.

Housed in the Michael Stanley Children’s Garden, the telephone paves the way for conversation and healing. This is not the place for cell phones. Instead, you lift the handset, surprisingly weighty. You might twist the curly cord. You may choose to sit, to stand, to pace. A conversation lasts a handful of minutes or much longer.

This is a place of quiet reflection. A canopy of trees changes with the seasons, branches laced with sunlight and sky. A translucent arc of sea glass, bathed in hues of soft blues and greens glimmers. Leaves rustle in the wind. Two chairs face forward. The telephone rests on the wall.

Waiting.

The project is based on the first Phone of the Wind which helped mourners after the 2011 tsunami in Japan. The simple phone booth became a place of solace and healing as survivors called relatives lost to the waves, to plead for their return, or to say goodbye.

Since then, people have installed Phones of the Wind worldwide, including, by year-end, at Hospice of the Chesapeake. Welcome to a place where memory fills the moment.

Donors like you make Phone of the Wind at Hospice of the Chesapeake possible. Find out how you can help with one phone call.

443-837-1530

How You Bridge the Gap You might be surprised to learn government and private insurances do not pay all costs of hospice care.

Beloved programs such as children’s services, Veterans’ programs, integrative arts such as Reiki and comfort touch, dementia care services, and grief support are often not covered fully or at all. Fortunately, caring people like you make all the difference.

Your generosity brightens lives in our community by advancing care and compassion for all those who need it.

Because of you, patients and loved ones receive the broadest range of services to make every precious moment count, no matter what it takes.

Your gift today means no one faces serious illness alone. Thank you.

foundation@hospicechesapeake.org

Scale: 3/8” = 1’-0” 30 November 2021

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Build your legacy of caring

GRATITUDE INSPIRES GIVING Be a Part of Something Great One way to help people who turn to Hospice of the Chesapeake is with a gift in your will. Now is the perfect time to learn more about wills and other ways to do good and realize tax savings. Explore our expansive new planned giving site for explanations, videos, and stories about options like IRAs, DAFs, QCDs, and CGAs. Put your compassion into action.

Grateful for help her husband received, Mary Alter directed her qualified charitable distribution to support patient care.

Like many of us, Edgewater resident Mary Kathryn Alter, Ph.D., never gave hospice much thought. But when her husband Philip’s neurological illness became more difficult, she learned the value of hospice care. “The hospital was noisy and intrusive. Philip wanted to be at peace and not in a hospital. His doctor suggested hospice.”

At Hospice of the Chesapeake, Philip received medication for comfort and remained alert. “He knew where he was, he talked to us and he was comfortable,” she said. Needing specialized care at the inpatient center, Philip looked out at trees and plantings. “It was quiet, restful—exactly what he wanted.”

hospicechesapeake.planmygift.org

Why Hospice Matters

This year, Mary honored the care her husband received with a gift. “I wanted to make sure others had the comforting support Philip and our family received,” she says. Mary also sought to ensure the gift fit into her philanthropic planning.

That’s why she was happy to learn about using a qualified charitable distribution or QCD. A QCD is a distribution of funds from an IRA directly to a qualified charitable organization, such as Hospice of the Chesapeake. Because the gift goes directly to the charity, the dollar amount of the gift may be excluded from taxable income, with some exceptions.

“A QCD allows me to donate from my IRA directly without ever receiving it as income,” she says. “That means I can give the full amount rather than what’s left after income tax due on the funds taken out. I maximize my donation and give more to causes I care about than if I wrote a check.

“I’ll never forget how much Hospice of the Chesapeake did for us. Now, my gift helps others.”

Raised by her grandmother, board member Joyce Phillip long remembered her grandmother’s painful passing. Her grief inspired her hospice journey, which began when she helped found Arundel Hospice nearly 45 years ago.

Scan the code to hear Joyce’s story.

This information should not be considered legal or tax advice. Consult your legal or financial advisor for guidance.

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Grow Your Generosity As a monthly donor, you help people receive the compassionate care and dignity they deserve. Give patients and families the greatest gift of all—a chance to make every moment count.

 Yes! I want to be a monthly supporter hospicechesapeake.org/recurring-gifts

PHOTO: One by one, young campers released lanterns decorated with names of their loved ones during an evening ceremony at Camp Nabi. See story, page 3.

You are part of the work that happens at Hospice of the Chesapeake.

To learn more about the impact of your philanthropy, please visit hospicechesapeake.org