PRESS RELEASE
Date: March 1, 2011
Contact: Michele Alderson 524-6375 micheleralderson@yahoo.com

NEEDED HOSPICE SERVICES DENIED

On Friday February 25th, the Hospice House Foundation, Four Seasons, and many supportive citizens of Macon County received word that the CON application for a six-bed hospice inpatient facility submitted late last year was denied.

"We are very disappointed in the states decision not to approve our Certificate of Need application. We had hoped for an approval, but were aware that a Certificate of Need is not always awarded to the applicant during the first submission. However, we know there is a need as the state, on several occasions, has approved petitions to the State Medical Facility Plan stating that a six- bed inpatient facility was warranted to serve a six county Western North Carolina region," said Alderson.

Chris Comeaux, President of Four Seasons, commented, "We are carefully studying the state's response to our application. We have other options and are considering them all".

Alderson stated, "We are undeterred. Our original position has not changed and we are determined to see that the need is fulfilled. We believe that we can make this project a reality for our community. No one else was willing to step up and meet that need."

An additional reason stated in the denial of the CON response was the lack of demonstration of ability to raise funds for the project. "One of the things the state wanted to see was strong commitment and support for a hospice house from the community in the form of dollars raised. We have done very well in raising funds to date, especially considering that we have yet to begin our Capital Campaign. We will continue to work hard to raise the funds needed for the Hospice House through fund raisers such as our third annual Cut-a-Thon, which will be held June 11th this year, as well as through a Capital Campaign", Alderson added.

In November, hundreds of people in the community attended the public hearing in support of the project.

"We knew that this would be a long hard road. For the residents of our community we will remain diligent to find a way for our dream of a hospice house to become a reality," said Alderson.

The Hospice House Foundation and Four Seasons will keep the community apprised as they determine the best course of action to proceed with this process. No other remarks will be made until another press release is issued.

For more information contact:
Michele Alderson, President
Hospice House Foundation of WNC, Inc.
PO Box 815
Franklin, NC 28744
828-524-6375

Macon County News article about this decision, March 3, 2011: Hospice House facility denied state approval

PRESS RELEASE
Date: May 5, 2010
Contact: Michele Alderson 524-6375 micheleralderson@yahoo.com

The Hospice House Foundation of WNC, Inc. Macon County is proud to announce their partnership with Four Seasons Hospice of Henderson County, NC.

The mission of the Hospice House Foundation of WNC, Inc. is to provide an inpatient facility for hospice patients for end of life care, and to support our hospice patients and families in our community. The non-profit, private foundation was formed by a group of local hospice volunteers, doctors and community members who saw the need as a result of their various experiences with loved ones and patients.

Seeing this great need for a facility, the Hospice House Foundation of WNC, Inc., petitioned the state of North Carolina in writing, and appeared personally before the State Medical Facilities Planning Commission on three different occasions in 2009 requesting six beds for Macon County. Hospice beds must be granted by the State of North Carolina, just like hospital beds, MRI Units, etc. The Foundation’s Petition for six beds was granted in September of 2009.

The Foundation chose Four Seasons Hospice as their partner to operate the facility because they are not only one of the top hospice agencies in North Carolina, but are one of the premier Hospice and Palliative Care agencies in the country. Four Seasons specializes in end-of-life care, and has been serving their area since 1981, and are now passionately and compassionately, serving over 600 patients daily in their homes, and in their inpatient facility, Elizabeth House, located on their campus in Flat Rock, NC. In 2009, Four Seasons was one of only three organizations in the United States that specialize in end-of-life care, to receive the prestigious Circle of Life Award.

We feel that by choosing Four Seasons as our partner, we will be closer to making a hospice inpatient facility become a reality for our hospice families in our community.

For more information contact:
Michele Alderson, President
Hospice House Foundation of WNC, Inc.
PO Box 815
Franklin, NC 28744
828-524-6375

NEWS RELEASE, FOR IMMEDIATE USE
Date: October 2, 2009
Contact: Michele Alderson 524-6375 micheleralderson@yahoo.com

HOSPICE HOUSE FOUNDATION GRANTED PETITION FOR HOSPICE BEDS

The Hospice House Foundation of WNC, Inc. has scored a strategic victory toward making a hospice house facility a reality for our community and all of Western North Carolina. On Friday, September 25th, 2009, the State Medical Facilities Planning Commission unanimously voted to grant the Foundation’s Petition for six hospice inpatient beds for Macon County. This paves the way for the Foundation to apply for a Certificate of Need, and to move forward with its capital campaign in order to raise the funds needed to provide a twelve bed inpatient/residential hospice house facility.

There are currently 28 Hospice Houses in North Carolina, but presently there are no hospice residences west of Asheville. There is a critical need in this part of the state for an inpatient facility, as reflected in the decision by the State Medical Facilities Planning Commission.

The facility will not only serve Macon County, but would be offered to all hospice patients in our surrounding counties, including Swain, Graham, Jackson, Clay, Cherokee and North Georgia.

An inpatient facility offers a home like atmosphere, that will help families and patients when care needs go beyond what can be provided in the home.

Quality healthcare services have been defined as the right care, at the right time, in the right place, for the right patient. Acute care services provided in hospitals and nursing homes are not generally geared to the unique needs of hospice patients and families, and do not fulfill the hospice philosophy. An inpatient facility will assure the continuum of quality hospice services for those patients that need and select this option at end of life.

The Hospice House Foundation became a non-profit corporation in 2005. Its sole mission has been, and still is, to provide and endow a Hospice House for our community and to support hospice. The Foundation is not affiliated with, and has never been affiliated with, any other agency or foundation. Donors can be assured that their contributions will be used for the sole purpose of providing and endowing a Hospice House in Western North Carolina. Contributions can be made to the Hospice House Foundation of WNC, Inc., P.O. Box 815, Franklin, NC 28744.

Visit www.hospicehousefoundationwnc.com for more info.

Beckhans ‘Pays It Forward’ With Gift To Hospice House
(Macon County News, Franklin, NC)

Lillian Beckhans becomes an angel for other Macon, Swain, and Jackson residents when she made her recent gift to the Hospice House Foundation of WNC, Inc. to build a Hospice House in Franklin, NC. She gifted to the Hospice House Foundation of WNC because she wants Hospice caregivers to be able to help the dignity of many clients as they are living their last moments in a pleasant, comfortable and safe environment.

Bette Balmer, Hospice volunteer and bereavement coordinator, said that Beckhans will have a room named for her in the new Hospice House, when it is completed.

It will be called the ‘Pay It Forward’ room in honor of the woman who continues to pay it forward, giving hope to others from her bed at Grandview Manor, in Franklin, N.C.

In a Franklin Press article, Bette Balmer stated… ‘rather than being the grim reaper, Hospice provides patients with a support system of people that care and helps them to live, even celebrate, the time they have left.

Our goal is to help them enjoy a full life for as long as they live……..we can’t give them quantity, but we can give them quality. They are not alone anymore……Hospice helps take some of that fear away.’

Michele Alderson, President of Hospice House Foundation of WNC, says that the foundation exists purely to raise funds for the construction and endowment of an inpatient facility for the community. In this way excellent Hospice care can be fully carried out when a patient does not have 24 hour caretakers or able to be at home for their last days.


Hospice House Foundation of WNC, Inc. Establishes Endowment
(Franklin Press, Franklin NC)

The Hospice House Foundation of WNC, Inc. has established the Hospice Foundation Endowment Fund at the Community Foundation of Western North Carolinas as a permanent resource for the organization.