June 2, 2011

Shawano Community Hospice, ThedaCare At Home Hospice Integrate

After serving the community for nearly 25 years, Shawano Community Hospice, as a part of Shawano Medical Center, has joined with ThedaCare At Home to provide end-of-life healthcare services throughout the Shawano area. The two were operating separately, although they were both a part of ThedaCare. Shawano Medical Center integrated with ThedaCare in January.

This merger integrates the two hospice organizations into one larger and stronger hospice program, eliminating duplication of services. The ThedaCare At Home hospice employees and Shawano Community Hospice employees were already ThedaCare employees. The hospice services will now be offered through ThedaCare At Home.

“We have been operating separately, but we have much in common,” said Linda Gilbert, RN, hospice director at Shawano Community Hospice. “We both have a deep commitment to hospice care. It simply made sense for the two of us to come together.”

This integration means patients, their families and caregivers, and healthcare providers will have one ThedaCare hospice program to help meet their end-of-life needs.

“We can support the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of our patients through the multidisciplinary hospice care team,” said Sarah Follen, vice president of ThedaCare At Home. “We bring comfort, dignity and choice to our patients and families when they need it most. Hospice is really about living each day to the fullest, and helping patients to meet their individual goals at this very important time in their life.”

ThedaCare At Home hospice services offer:

    Care directed by the patient, the attending physician, in collaboration with the hospice medical director.
    Inpatient care for acute symptom management and respite care.
    Registered nurses with expertise in pain and symptom management to provide care and information about care-giving and end-of-life options.
    Social workers and chaplains to assist families with their emotional, financial and spiritual concerns, while offering support and coping strategies.
    A caring team of certified nursing assistants to support the activities of daily living and personal care, such as bathing and grooming.
    A dedicated group of volunteers to share their time and talents to provide companionship, caregiver relief and support.
    Bereavement staff who provide support and education to families and significant others for one year following the loss of their loved one.
    Friends of Hospice community foundation will continue to support hospice services in the Shawano area.

Shawano Community Hospice began in February 1987, while ThedaCare At Home started offering hospice care in Shawano in 2008.

ThedaCare At Home hospice services need men and women volunteers to support hospice patients and their families in the Shawano area. Those wishing to volunteer may contact Angie Krueger at (715) 460-1280.

In addition to hospice, ThedaCare At Home’s Shawano team provides comprehensive care and services, including:

    Skilled homecare
    Respiratory services
    Home infusion therapy
    Home medical equipment and supplies (through home delivery and the store at ThedaCare Physicians-Shawano)

ThedaCare At Home helps more than 19,000 individuals in 12 counties in Northeast Wisconsin each year, helping people of all ages regain their independence and maintain their quality of life through home health care services and providing home medical equipment. ThedaCare At Home, through in-home hospice and inpatient facilities like Cherry Meadows Hospice in Appleton, cared for more than 900 hospice patients in 2010.

Shawano Medical Center serves 35,000 people in Shawano, Menominee, and surrounding counties. Shawano Medical Center includes a critical-access (25-bed) hospital, Wellness Works, and Sports Medicine.

ThedaCare (www.thedacare.org) is a community-owned health system consisting of Appleton Medical Center, Theda Clark Medical Center, New London Family Medical Center, Riverside Medical Center in Waupaca, ThedaCare Physicians, and other health care services. ThedaCare is the largest employer in Northeast Wisconsin with nearly 5,540 employees.

For more information, media may contact Megan Wilcox, APR (megan.wilcox@thedacare.org), corporate and public relations specialist for ThedaCare, at (920) 830-5847 or call the Theda Clark Medical Center switchboard at (920) 729-3100 and ask for the marketing person on call.