CHI St. Alexius Health Home Health and Hospice recently received We Honor Veterans Partner Level Three status. Developed by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs, the program is designed to empower hospice professionals to meet the unique needs of dying Veterans. CHI St. Alexius Health Home Health and Hospice is the only hospice in North Dakota to have reached this status.
“We are extremely proud to have accomplished Level Three,” said Lindsey Lee, hospice coordinator. “Military service is a very important part of a veteran’s life. We believe that every man and woman who serves their country deserves to be recognized for their dedication, particularly as they enter their end-of-life journey.”
CHI St. Alexius Health Home Health and Hospice met stringent requirements to achieve Level Three. Activities will now begin for Level Four status, the highest level and honor a hospice can achieve in the program.
In 2013, CHI St. Alexius Health Home Health and Hospice launched the Vet- to-Vet Volunteer Program, which pairs veteran volunteers with veteran hospice patients. “Volunteers are essential to the delivery of quality hospice care,” states Lee. “These veteran volunteers have the unique ability to relate and connect with veteran patients and their families.”
The We Honor Veterans campaign provides tiered recognition to organizations that demonstrate a systematic commitment to improving care for Veterans. “Partners” assess their ability to serve veterans and integrate best practices for providing end-of-life care to veterans. CHI St. Alexius Health started participating in the We Honor Veterans Program in May 2012.