Hospice Volunteers Honored for Outstanding Service

The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization recognized four outstanding volunteers at the organization’s 15th Clinical Team Conference held in Nashville, Tennessee.  The Volunteers are the Foundation of Hospice Awards recognizes hospice volunteers who best reflect the universal concept of volunteerism in its truest sense—serving as an inspiration to others.

This year’s recipients and the area for which they were honored are:

Clarence Smith, a volunteer with Beacon Hospice, an Amedisys company, in South Portland, Maine, for patient and family support.  He is a Korean War veteran who is actively involved in Beacon’s We Honor Veterans program, has volunteered since 2007 and has logged approximately 1,200 hours in patient visits.

Elizabeth “Betty” Takes, a volunteer with Hospice of Dubuque in Dubuque, Iowa, for organizational support. She has dedicated over 30 years of her life to Hospice of Dubuque both professionally as a nurse and personally as a volunteer and board of directors member.

Margi Miller, a volunteer with Tidewell Hospice in Lakewood Ranch, Florida, for specialized volunteer support.  She uses her musical and artistic talent to help patients and families and has provided over 1,000 hours of service.

Katharine Foster, a volunteer with BJC Hospice in St. Louis, Missouri, for young leader support.  She is a pre-med student who began volunteering in 2012.  Since then she has logged 200 hours of direct patient contact. 

“Volunteers play an integral role in hospice care and each and every one deserves recognition and the highest accolades.  From direct patient support and caregiver relief to administrative support in a local hospice office, hospice volunteers selflessly give of their time to serve patients and families who are facing end-of-life challenges,” said J. Donald Schumacher, NHPCO president and CEO. 

NHPCO reports that there are more than 355,000 trained hospice volunteers contributing more than 16 million hours of service to hospice organizations across the country.

“Today we recognize four volunteers who demonstrate remarkable service, compassion and commitment.   We often say that volunteers are the heart of hospice.  Their gift of caring has a profound impact on patients and families and we cannot say thank you enough for the support they provide,” Schumacher remarked.

These volunteer awards were created and administered by NHPCO’s National Council of Hospice and Palliative Professionals, a section of the organization’s membership that promotes the contributions and skills of the different professional disciplines that make up the hospice interdisciplinary team.