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When someone mentions Hospice of the Golden Isles (HGI), you’re likely to hear something like “they are angels on earth” or “my family never would have made it without them.” Many lives have been touched by HGI’s services. This non-profit agency has deep roots in our community and has been caring for our friends and family for almost 40 years. Hospice team members are our neighbors, friends, and family.

HGI’s services are unique in many respects. HGI was founded in 1980 as a volunteer endeavor even before Medicare funding was made available for hospice care in 1983. Although most hospice care they provide is home-based, HGI is the only local hospice that operates a freestanding Hospice House, including a 12-bed inpatient facility and 12-bed residential program that serves as a critically important safety net for some of the most vulnerable in our community.

In 2010, HGI hired a full-time Chief Medical Officer, Dr. John Shaner, the only local physician who is Board certified in Hospice & Palliative Medicine as well as Internal Medicine. In addition to providing excellent clinical oversight of HGI, Dr. Shaner serves as the Medical Director for Golden Isles Palliative Care, HGI’s new specialty service that provides expert treatment of all stages of chronic illness.

Southeast coastal Georgia’s original hometown hospice, HGI is mission-minded, with a Board of Directors and senior leadership team who live locally and are invested in the community. HGI provides over $750,000 of uncompensated care annually (10% of the annual budget) to ensure access to high quality hospice services for all eligible patients who need their expert care. HGI’s bereavement services are available to the community and they conduct an annual Lights of Love memorial service to support families who have experienced the loss of a loved one.

HGI has the privilege of serving more than 600 patients and their families each year and continues to receive national recognition for exceptional quality of care while serving more patients than ever before in the history of the organization. EIL reached out to HGI’s Chief Executive Officer, Karen Brubaker Miller, to discuss Hospice’s exceptional accomplishments.

EIL: How does it feel to be the only hospice in Georgia to receive HEALTHCAREfirst’s Hospice Honors Award for six consecutive years?

KBM: Our team is thrilled to receive this very special national recognition from HEALTHCAREfirst for the sixth year in a row. Hospice Honors is a prestigious award for hospices who receive outstanding results on family satisfaction surveys after their loved one has died on Hospice care. Survey questions assess satisfaction with services by each member of the team, responsiveness of after-hours care, education and support for caregivers, and whether they would recommend the hospice to others. The Hospice Honors award is given to hospices scoring above national averages on 20 of the 24 evaluated survey measures. Hospice Honors Elite is awarded to hospices achieving above average scores on all 24 measures. Our team is proud that HGI is the only hospice in Georgia to obtain the Elite Designation, in addition to Hospice Honors, twice in six years. Consistently, survey results demonstrate that 99% of respondents would recommend HGI to others.

EIL: How difficult is it to obtain Hospice Honors Elite status?

KBM: Approximately half of all hospice providers nationally subscribe to HEALTHCAREfirst to administer hospice satisfaction surveys, so this is an excellent annual quality benchmarking opportunity. In 2017, more than 2,000 hospice providers participated in HEALTHCAREfirst’s quality comparison program; 400 received Hospice Honors and 68 received Hospice Honors Elite (the top 3%). Only 4 hospices in Georgia earned the Hospice Honors Elite designation. HGI has the distinction of being the only hospice in Georgia that has received Hospice Honors every year since the award program was established.

EIL: What makes Hospice of the Golden Isles different from other hospices?

KBM: Hospice of the Golden Isles’ greatest asset is our team members. Our nurses, social workers, chaplains, nursing assistants, volunteers, and support staff are dedicated and bring great compassion and expertise to their work every day. We have outstanding support from our Board of Directors, many of whom have had a personal hospice experience, as well as a highly experienced Leadership team. We are fortunate to have a broad, generous base of support, including our faithful Hospice Auxiliary that raises funds on our behalf, and a strong partnership with Southeast Georgia Health System. While in the growing hospice industry today almost 75% of hospices nationwide are for-profit companies, Hospice of the Golden Isles remains one of the few longstanding community-founded, not-for-profit hospices in the country. HGI offers the most options for care and serves our patients at home, in nursing homes or assisted living facilities, in the hospital, and at our Hospice House. We remain true to our mission and formulate strategic planning and decisions in response to the needs of our community.

EIL: Tell us more about Golden Isles Palliative Care.

KBM: Establishing a palliative care program has been part of our strategic plan since 2010 when we recruited Dr. Shaner. In 2016-17, HGI was fortunate to receive generous grant funding from the St. Marys United Methodist Church Foundation and the Healthcare Georgia Foundation to help launch this important initiative and improve quality of life for those with serious illness in our community. Our palliative care physician, nurse practitioner, and nurse navigator partner with Southeast Georgia Health System to operate their Palliative Care Center through inpatient hospital consultations and an outpatient clinic at the Brunswick hospital. In the future, we plan to increase the availability of palliative care services to patients living in nursing homes and at home and expand our service area.

EIL: What is palliative care?

KBM: Palliative care is a medical specialty that focuses on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of serious illness and can be provided along with curative treatment. It has been demonstrated to improve both quality and even length of life for patients of all ages and at any stage of serious illness. It provides patients and their loved ones with assistance in making informed choices about their medical care. Palliative care is provided by a team of doctors, nurses, and other specialists working together with a patient’s family and other doctors to provide an extra layer of support.

EIL: How can someone access palliative care services?

KBM: Our Palliative Care team works in a consultative role along with your Attending Physician and other doctors to help coordinate your care. If you are dealing with a serious illness, your physician can refer you to our Palliative Care program. To learn more about Golden Isles Palliative Care, visit goldenislespc.org or call 912.289.9200. For more about Hospice of the Golden Isles, visit hospice.me.