This month marked a ten-year milestone for St. John Hospice. In their decade of service, St. John Hospice has served 10,500 patients, and tens of thousands more if one accounts for all the family members of patients who are positively impacted by their work.

“Ten years ago, St. John Health recognized that hospice was a missing component in our health system’s continuum of care. We were regularly referring our patients who needed end of life care and services to outside agencies,” explains Eva Sylvester, St. John Hospice Director.  “Having a hospice component to our health system adds tremendous value. It enables us to continue to care for our patients and their families, which supports our Mission and Values.”

St. John Hospice serves a large geographical area, including St. Clair, Macomb, Oakland, Wayne, and parts of Washtenaw and Livingston counties. With 84 associates and about 80 volunteers, St. John Hospice is organized into three teams. Each team is made up of nurses, home health aides, social workers, clergy, clerical coordinators, schedulers, physicians, volunteers, and supervisors and coordinators.

Eva says her team is like a puzzle. “Each team member brings a unique perspective and talent and is a integral piece of the puzzle. All the ‘pieces’ are needed to help serve patients and their families completely.”

A unique component of St. John Hospice is its year-old Pediatric Hospice and Pediatric Supportive Care Program. In February 2007, St. John Hospice partnered with St. John Hospital and Medical Center’s Pediatric Unit to formulate the children’s palliative care program. Under the leadership of Adonis Lorenzana, MD, the dedicated team provides palliative care that specifically addresses the needs of seriously ill children and their families. Currently, the program is caring for 20 pediatric hospice patients and 10 pediatric palliative care patients.

St. John Hospice also offers:

• Bereavement Services and Support
• Grief Support Services
• Spiritual Care Services
• Men’s Grief Support Group
• Caregiver Support

Reflecting on her team’s work over the past ten years, Eva says “It’s an honor and a privilege to be with patients and their families at this point in their lives. With each patient, you learn something unique about them and you forever carry a piece of them with you. They become part of your work.”

            As for the future, Eva is always thinking about what’s in the best interest of hospice patients and their families. She dreams of a dedicated inpatient hospice facility—one that specializes in end-of-life care and would provide a much needed respite for family caregivers.