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Hospice of the Rapidan Recognized as a We Honor Veterans Partner
Culpeper, VA -
Today, Board President, Jane Smith, announced a new program at Hospice of the Rapidan, “It may surprise many people to learn that twenty-five percent of those who die every year in the U.S. are veterans. To help provide the care and support that reflects the important contributions made by these men and women, it seems appropriate that we announce in time for Independence Day, a day that our nations veterans gave so much to defend, that Hospice of the Rapidan has become a national partner of We Honor Veterans, a pioneering program developed by National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs.”
As a We Honor VeteransPartner, Hospice of the Rapidan will implement ongoing veteran-centered staff and volunteer training to help improve the care provided to the Veterans every day. The nation is seeing many of the veterans who served in World War II and Korean pass away – with the number of deaths of Vietnam veterans is beginning to rise, as well.
Hospice of the Rapidan Executive Director, Melissa Mills, R.N., BSN, CHPN states, “The Veteran’s Administration shares a common goal with Hospice of the Rapidan, and that is to provide the best possible end of life care specifically tailored to the needs of our area’s veterans, ensuring that our goals of care are met in the veterans preferred setting, whether that is in a VA hospital, clinic, local nursing home or in the veterans family home. As we focus on working together and unite our services and skills, We Honor Veterans will channel our combined strengths directly to veterans – wherever they are receiving care.”
The We Honor Veterans Program recognizes the unique needs of our nation’s veterans facing a life-limiting illness, making Hospice of the Rapidan better able to guide Veterans and their families toward a more peaceful transition. Hospice of the Rapidan nurse, Carol McMichael, R.N., formerly a U.S. Navy nurse, is excited about this new program. “Through We Honor Veterans we at Hospice of the Rapidan are taking a giant step forward in helping our hospice and palliative care providers understand and serve veterans at the end of life and work more effectively with Veteran’s Administration medical facilities.”
“America’s veterans have done everything asked of them in their mission to serve our country and we believe it is never too late to give them a hero’s welcome home. Now it is time that we step up, acquire the necessary skills and fulfill our mission to serve these men and women with the dignity they deserve,” added J. Donald Schumacher, PsyD, President and CEO, National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, which has partnered with the Veteran’s Administration to provide the “We Honor Veterans” program to hospice and palliative care organizations nation-wide.
To learn more about Hospice of the Rapidan’s “We Honor Veterans” Program, contact Craig Wilt, “We Honor Veterans” Program Director at 540.825.4840 or 540.216.7963. Or, to make a contribution to Hospice of the Rapidan’s “We Honor Veterans” Program, visit www.hotr.org to make an online donation or send a check designating your gift to the “We Honor Veterans Program” in the memo line to Hospice of the Rapidan P.O. Box 1715, Culpeper, VA 22701.
Hospice of the Rapidan provides compassionate and dignified hospice care for terminally ill patients and their families. Unparalleled medical care coupled with emotional, social, spiritual and grief support focuses on caring, when curing is medically determined to be unlikely. Hospice of the Rapidan supports each patient in achieving their choice to die free from pain, with dignity, surrounded by family and loved ones, and attended by caring professionals who understand this natural process. Hospice of the Rapidan is the only non-profit community hospice serving Fauquier, Rappahannock, Culpeper, Madison and Orange counties and has been providing service to the citizens in these communities for 30 years. To learn more about hospice care, grief support or volunteer opportunities call Hospice of the Rapidan at 540.825.4840, Culpeper or 540.216.7963, Warrenton or visit us online at www.hotr.org. ##
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