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Meet Evercare Hospice Clinicians

It takes a special person to devote his or her career to hospice care. And Evercare is fortunate to have many of these special people dedicated to our organization. Do you see yourself among them? We hope so.

Nurses

Nancy, Hospice RN

As a "big picture" person, Nancy quickly realized that Evercare offered a great continuum of care-from Nurse Practitioner services to end-of-life needs. She was attracted by the seamless care for the families and patients as they go from Evercare to Evercare Hospice Care.

"Evercare has a great reputation and Evercare Hospice has to live up to that and carry on the legacy until the end of a patient's life. I'm proud to say we do."

Based on her experience, Nancy says most hospice companies are stand-alone and do not have a full line of services, as do Evercare and UnitedHealth Group. As a result, hospice professionals with Evercare Hospice have more resources for their patients.

Jennifer, Hospice RN

Jennifer understands hospice care and knows death is always difficult and different for each patient and his or her family. She remembers caring for a 27-year-old leukemia patient. The young woman was at her time of passing, and her father couldn't bear to come into the bedroom with her in his home. Jennifer took an hour to sit and comfort the man, and eventually he went in. Within five minutes the young woman had passed. "I felt proud knowing that I'd been able to facilitate the father being with his daughter at her passing."

"I have great pride for the dignity I provide the people I care for. Evercare stresses, and echoes my belief, that each patient's individuality in death be as great as it was in life."

Certified Nursing Assistant

Elsie, Hospice CNA

Elsie has made a career of caring. After many years in hospitals and working with agencies, she finally found her calling with hospice care. As the daughter of a minister, Elsie developed a deep love of caring for others at a very young age. To her, hospice is a very personal and beautiful experience.

"So much of hospice is not medical-it's emotional, spiritual. Anything to make my patients more comfortable-to make them feel alive. It's my job to remind them that they have so much to offer us."

Elsie works closely with families, as well. She gets to know them and forges relationships on a personal level.

"I love this work. It's not a job you do for money, or for a check. You do it for your love of other human beings. It's that simple."

Social Worker

Debbie, Hospice Social Worker

"With Evercare, the team concept is a reality; we all have a personal touch with the families."

To Debbie, hospice is about living, not dying. Recently, her team found out about a patient's birthday and all showed up at his house with cards, balloons and cupcakes. The patient didn't have anybody else to do something nice for him and was so touched by the gesture.

"Evercare Hospice deals with the total person: emotional, spiritual and physical. It's about rejoicing in the little things."

Spiritual Health

Renee, Hospice Spiritual Health

Perhaps it was her background as a music teacher and involvement in her church that helped Renee hit the right note with Evercare Hospice. For Renee, this is a career in perfect harmony with her personal goals.

Renee admits that death is a difficult topic. She remembers a husband and wife who went weeks without being able to talk about the impending death. In the last few days Renee was able to facilitate their speaking loving words to one another, to say the things that needed saying and to pray with them.

"At Evercare, we take pride in being personal. We get to know our team and the families we counsel. And my chaplaincy lets me have a ministry every day. That's so rare and rewarding."

Renee follows families for 13 months after deaths. All of this is part of the Evercare Plan of Care. There's even a memorial service for all the families at the end of each year.

Medical Directors

Megan, MD

Megan had been in Hospice Medicine since 1997 before discovering Evercare Hospice. She was attracted to Evercare Hospice because physicians can work in hospice full time, not just as needed.

"Evercare Hospice is truly a team of social workers, nurses and hospice physicians that make the experience so comfortable for the patients and their families. I'm so happy to be a part of that team."

Megan also enjoys the flexibility and the freedom to make her own schedule and work with the team, patients and patient families. Evercare's model of doing what's best for the patient aligns perfectly with her personal and professional values.

Kim, MD

After jumping through hoops, playing politics and feeling like she was losing her passion, Kim began looking for a hospice program that was physician driven. She wanted to see patients. She wanted to teach. She wanted to be actively involved and take a hands-on approach. She found it all with Evercare Hospice.

"A lot of doctors are working for companies that are poorly managed, where decisions are not rationalized and where leaders really do not care. Evercare Hospice is not like that. My boss always says, 'Do what is right for the patient.' You don't hear that too often in today's medical practices."

What else is keeping Kim at Evercare Hospice? Kim says it's the flexible schedule and caseload variety. She finds palliative very interesting and a new challenge.

"There's lots of opportunity. I love it!"