Ken Herson, veteran volunteer with ProMedica Hospice Serving Southwest Michigan, received the opportunity to participate in an Honor Flight to Washington D.C. with Talon’s Out. Along with ProMedica’s volunteer coordinator, Scarlet O’Heran, their tour included eight memorials and attending the changing of the guard at Arlington National Cemetery.

The memorials were all poignant works of art, and each brought the 85 veterans closer to the sacrifices of the past that are still being felt today. Ken, being a Vietnam Veteran, was as prepared as possible for the impact of the memorials, but the human element was truly the most emotional part of the day. From the moment Scarlet and Ken started their journey, the outpouring of gratitude for the sacrifice of his service was palpable. Large groups of supporters, individual servicemen, and police and fire departments all shared their thanks and gratitude with Ken and the other veterans. The most memorable honor was the “Welcome Home” gathering where Ken’s family stood with hundreds of others just to say, “Welcome home and thank you!”

What a wonderful day of honor! Thank you to Scarlet, Ken and the ProMedica Hospice team for your dedication to veteran patients and veterans in the community.

Jim, spiritual care coordinator at ProMedica Hospice Serving Southwest Michigan, and magician for more than 25 years who has performed magic tricks all over the world, performed a magic show for patients and residents at Rehoboth Oaks Adult Foster Care. It all began when Jim toured the facility during his orientation with ProMedica Hospice and showed the residents a trick. They enjoyed it so much that he promised he would come back when his orientation was complete to perform an entire show for them.

When the day for the show came, nine residents and multiple staff members attended. Attendees’ smiles lit the room as they watched Jim perform while they enjoyed breakfast. Jim stated, “Whether my audience is age ten or 110, there is nothing as satisfying as seeing the wonder in the people’s eyes and a smile across their faces. I thank God for the ability to use this talent to bring joy to others.” Jesse, manager of business development, shared, “This show was really important because it is our mission every day to make personal connections and create memorable moments that will enrich each patient’s life. Watching Jim perform his magic tricks really brought back good memories of things in the past to our patients.”

Heartland Hospice serving Southwest Michigan, a division of ProMedica, is proud to announce their promotion to a Level Five partner within the We Honor Veterans Program for their continued care and support of the Veteran population. Level Five is the highest level We Honor Veterans partners can attain and includes several new required activities and yearly recertification.

All wars are different and provide unique experiences and often difficulties for the Veterans who served in them. We Honor Veterans was launched by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to help improve the care veterans receive from hospice and palliative care providers.

“I know the importance of Heartland’s initiative to better serve these United States veterans,” commented Wade Huskey, Veteran Volunteer. “I am a veteran myself, and I believe we not only care for the mind, body and spirit of our veterans, but that Heartland is a hospice provider trained to care specifically for veterans,” added Huskey.

The We Honor Veterans program provides five levels of recognition to organizations that demonstrate a commitment to improving care for veterans. Aside from existing partner requirements, Level Five partners place a greater emphasis on staff education and caring for Vietnam-era and combat Veterans. Additionally, Level Five partners take on the role of regional mentor to other We Honor Veterans partners working to enhance their programs. 

“When we set out to create the Level Five program we knew that it had to be different to truly showcase the efforts needed to go above and beyond. Not only has the Heartland Hospice team demonstrated their commitment, but they have helped shape the program and have continued as an example of what all hospice partners should strive to be,” said NHPCO President & CEO Edo Banach.

To learn more about the We Honor Veterans initiative, the steps that our agencies have taken to receive this acknowledgement or to see where other Heartland agencies are at in the process of achieving this honor, visit the We Honor Veterans website.

Heartland Hospice Medical Director, Dr. Jeffrey VanWingen, MD, talks about how the hospice teams are supporting patients and their families during this difficult time. Dr. VanWingen is the Medical Director for Heartland Hospice Serving Southwest Michigan, Heartland Hospice Serving West Michigan and Heartland Hospice Serving Northwestern Michigan.

To contact Heartland Hospice, please call 877-329-1001.

During a time of uncertainty, it helps to bring a smile to people’s faces and try to help someone in need whenever possible. A few weeks after the novel coronavirus began affecting many areas in Michigan, the Heartland Hospice Serving Southwest Michigan team wanted to help where they could. Jesse DeLavern, Manager of Business Development, tells about the responses they received and how the hospice team honored their requests.

“We reached out to our local hospitals and skilled nursing facilities and asked them what would be the best thing that we could do for them during this difficult time. Their responses were, ‘Words of encouragement.’ We decided to get them giant cards that reflected the massive amount of appreciation we have for everyone on the frontlines who are helping to keep our communities safe. Inside the cards were motivational quotes and a heartfelt message written and signed by all of the team.”

“The card for Ascension Borgess Hospital was delivered by Account Liaison, Brandon Davidson. He was not allowed to fully enter the hospital for safety reasons but was able to meet with the nurse who was working at the security screening entrance at the front. She was so excited, and you could tell that it really brightened her day.”

“The card for Heartland Health Care Center – Battle Creek was delivered by Account Liaison, Tiffany Swartz, and Care Transition Coordinator, Brian Lutz. The Battle Creek staff was very appreciative and thought it was a wonderful gesture. They had Tiffany put the card next to the Director of Nursing’s office at the front of the building because they wanted everyone to see it when they walked into the facility.”

The following excerpt was written by Sergeant First Class John Gebhard regarding his experience with Heartland Hospice serving Southwest Michigan's Veteran's program. Over the past year, Sergeant Gebhard has been participating in local pinning ceremonies to give thanks to Veterans of all branches for their service. During the ceremony, a Veteran is presented with a certificate of thanks and a ceremonial pin.

"Since returning from Afghanistan in March 2013, I have had the honor and privilege of honoring those Veterans under the care of Heartland Hospice by conducting several pinning ceremonies. I cannot thank these Veterans and their families enough, who allow me this opportunity to honor their past service to this country. It means so much to me to be able to thank them not only for their service, but for paving the way for mine and future generations of servicemen and women.

It is because of their courage, patriotism and sacrifices that I am able to serve our great nation. For me, it has been such an enjoyable experience and the impact of the ceremony on these Veterans and their families is truly inspiring. They are all so thankful and appreciative that they are receiving this small token of appreciation from Heartland Hospice.

Some of the Veterans did not get the "welcome home" I received or the recognition for their service, so this last gesture we can extend to them, I can only hope, gives them a sense of satisfaction and the admiration they deserve. I have gotten the opportunity to honor these service members on a regular basis. Thank you Heartland Hospice, it means more to me than I could ever express in words."

 

Sergeant First Class John Gebhard

Deployed to Afghanistan June 2012 - March 2013 with the 507th Engineer Battalion

Heartland Hospice serving Southwest Michigan is pleased to announce their promotion to a Level Four status within the We Honor Veterans Program for their continued care and support of the Veteran population. 

All wars are different and provide unique experiences and often difficulties for the Veterans who served in them. We Honor Veterans was launched by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to help improve the care veterans receive from hospice and palliative care providers.

“I know the importance of Heartland’s initiative to better serve these United States veterans,” commented Caleb Brooks, Manager of Business Development at Heartland. “I believe we not only care for the mind, body and spirit of our veterans, but that Heartland is a hospice provider trained to care specifically for veterans,” added Brooks.

The We Honor Veterans program provides four levels of recognition to organizations that demonstrate a commitment to improving care for veterans. In order to reach Level Four, Heartland was tasked with learning more about caring for veterans, declaring a commitment to honoring veterans at the end of life, providing education for hospice staff and volunteers on caring for veterans and partnering with the VA at the local, regional and national level to ensure the unique needs of veterans are met. 

To learn more about the We Honor Veterans initiative, the steps that our agencies have taken to receive this acknowledgement or to see where other Heartland agencies are at in the process of achieving this honor, click here.