HPCG Celebrates 35 Years of Excellence in Caregiving
March 25, 2015
(GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA)– This year, Hospice and Palliative Care of Greensboro (HPCG) celebrates 35 years of service to the community. Since it began in 1980, more than 25,000 patients have been served and thousands more have been touched by its bereavement care.
“We are extremely proud of what we have accomplished and humbled by the lives we have touched,” said Pat Soenksen, president and CEO. “It has been an honor and a privilege to care for so many patients and families. As we reflect upon how far we have come, we are grateful for the vision by our volunteer founders and we are energized by how much more there is to do. Then and now, we strive to relieve patients’ pain and suffering and achieve life closure. We also provide caregiver support and compassionate programs for grief and loss. After 35 years, we proudly remain the community’s hospice of choice.”
The words of Dame Cicely Saunders, founder of the modern hospice movement, remind HPCG’s staff each day of the powerful work they do. “How people die remains in the memory of those who live on,” she said. “You matter because you are you, and you matter to the end of your life. We will do all we can not only to help you die peacefully, but also to live until you die.”
As Guilford County’s largest, nonprofit hospice, HPCG is decidedly different. In addition to delivering excellent hospice care, HPCG empowers its patients to capture life’s moments that really matter. Its staff remains committed to innovation and to the values of quality, integrity, service and stewardship. The board of directors, past and present, has guided HPCG through the development of special programming to meet the community’s needs, such as the creation of Kids Path, a specialized program for pediatric hospice, palliative care and grief counseling. “Hospice and Palliative Care of Greensboro has become exceptional, because we have never lost sight of our mission,” said Dr. Pat Wright, board chair.
“And we have been blessed with an extraordinary staff and dedicated volunteers who have been supporting patients and their families for more than three decades, enabling them to live fully, with comfort and dignity, to the end of life.” Demand for HPCG’s services increases each year. Last year, the agency provided hospice services to more than 1,500 patients, which was a record utilization, making HPCG one of the largest hospice programs in the region. Today, more than 350 patients, of which, more than 59 are medically fragile children, are under HPCG’s care.
In addition to the excellent medical care provided, more than 1,400 children and adults receive bereavement counseling support each year. The good news is that HPCG resides in a generous community that has, for more than 35 years, recognized the value of its services and has given HPCG a strong foundation upon which to grow. It is because of this support, that no one has ever been denied care because of an inability to pay.
Therefore, to mark this milestone in its history, HPCG is asking all of its readers to share their stories about HPCG’s impact on their lives. Throughout the year, many of the stories submitted will be featured on the website and in Newslines. If you have a story about how HPCG has impacted you, your family or a loved one, please visit https://www.hospicegso.org/celebrating-35-years/ to share it with others!
HPCG, a nonprofit organization serving Guilford County and surrounding areas since 1980, is situated on a 14.75 acre campus at 2500 Summit Avenue. HPCG provides physical, emotional and spiritual support for children and adults faced with a life-limiting illness, as well as their caregivers and families. For more information, contact HPCG at 336.621.2500 or www.hospicgso.org.
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