LCHD Hospice hits 30 years - Letter to the Editor

A Letter to the Editor,
As a member of the governing body of the Lee County Health Department, I want to express my gratitude to our Lee County Health Department for providing “30-Years of Hospice Services” in Lee County, Iowa. Lee County Health Department (LCHD) will be hosting an open house to commemorate the 30-year program on November 14, 2019. LCHD started its Hospice program in Lee County, Iowa in 1989 and has been providing quality end of life care to many individuals and families ever since. With the support from the governing board at that time, Lee County Health Department’s former Hospice Director and Administrator, Julie Schilling, worked with other staff members to prepare for and initiate services resulting in the first Medicare Certified Hospice program in Southeast Iowa. The program has expanded its geographical service area over time which has included Hancock County, Illinois in 1998, Des Moines and Van Buren Counties in Iowa in 2000, Henry County, Iowa in 2004, and Henderson County, Illinois in 2005. Although there are many other Hospice programs now available as a choice in the service area, LCHD’s Hospice program remains viable today with a strong reputation for providing quality compassionate care by a team of very skilled and experienced nurses, social workers, chaplains, therapists, physicians, home health aides, companions, and volunteers.
To help celebrate 30 years of Hospice Services, the Lee County Health Department is inviting community members to attend their open house on November 14, 2019. Past and present team members, collaborating community partners, contracted individuals or organizations, and of course individuals or families whose lives may have been touched by the Hospice program are encouraged to attend. The open house will be from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm with a special Hospice acknowledgement presentation at 4:30 pm at Lee County Health Department’s office located at #3 John Bennett Drive, Fort Madison, Iowa 52627.
A special thank you goes out to all of the LCHD Hospice team members, both past and present, for providing such wonderful care to individuals and their loved ones over the past 30 years.

Sincerely,
Judy Bartachek, Chair,
Lee County Board of Health,
Governing Body of Lee County Health Department