When I came to Community Hospice as a volunteer social worker in 1985, I realized that hospice, with its quality-of-life philosophy and mission of compassionate care, was what I had been longing to do in my previous work with elderly home health patients. But until hospice, I didn’t have the words to describe the actions.

As the stories in this report demonstrate, our founders and supporters also believe that though death is part of our lives, dying in pain or without support, does not have to be. For 30 years, the hospice philosophy of making the most of the time left has been put into Community Hospice’s daily practice of providing comfort, offering choices, preserving dignity, and enhancing the quality of life for nearly 59,000 patients and their families.

It has been our privilege to make a difference in the lives of those patients and their families, and we are grateful to our First Coast community for its support. As we look to the future, our mission-driven mandate of compassionate care will be especially critical. The national debate on healthcare is focusing on what patients want from their healthcare providers when they become seriously ill or near the end of their lives. Palliative, or “comfort,” care will become a critical component in healthcare.

As Northeast Florida’s leader in palliative and hospice care, Community Hospice is eager to work with our fellow healthcare providers as our system evolves and we focus on providing patients and their families the best quality of life possible—at any stage of an illness.

Continuing our founders’ tradition of hospice care in today’s world is challenging, but it is also incredibly rewarding to help people enjoy a good quality of life even during times of uncertainty, sadness and fear. That’s why I treasure Community Hospice.

Susan Ponder-Stansel, President and CEO
Community Hospice of Northeast Florida
24-year Community Hospice employee