Providence Hospital in Mobile, Alabama, an Ascension ministry, and Covenant Hospice plan to develop a 15-bed hospice inpatient care center and associated support space within Providence. Covenant Hospice will lease and operate the space, using private rooms and additional support services from Providence.
The Covenant Hospice Inpatient Care Center at Providence Hospital will provide a comprehensive range of hospice services to patients throughout the communities served by the two organizations, as well as serving as a location to support other community healthcare organizations. This innovative approach to offering hospice care will be the first of its kind in the area.
“We are very pleased by this opportunity to provide for our community an inpatient hospice service at Providence Hospital for those patients in need of such care,” said Clark Christianson, President and CEO of Providence Health System. “This new service will fulfill a significant unmet need in our community and is consistent with Providence’s longstanding commitment to palliative and hospice care. We are also very appreciative of the opportunity to partner with Covenant Hospice, a not-for-profit organization that shares our commitment to serve all persons in our community.”
“Bringing an inpatient center like this to Mobile will help to relieve anxiety that families and patients who need access to these special services often encounter,” said Jeff Mislvey, Covenant Hospice President and CEO. “This project will give us the opportunity to combine our expertise and resources with one of the area’s leading healthcare providers to not only provide this service to the local community, but also increase our service offerings in a key geographic market.”
Considered the model for quality, compassionate care for people facing a life-limiting illness, hospice provides expert medical care, pain management, and emotional and spiritual support expressly tailored to the patient’s needs and wishes. Hospice focuses on caring, not curing. In most cases, care is provided in the patient’s home but may also be provided in freestanding hospice centers or hospitals, such as Providence. Patients typically admitted to the center need help controlling pain and symptoms of their diagnosis or have family that is in need of respite care.
A fall 2015 opening is projected for the 5,900-square-foot center. Staff will include physicians, registered nurses, nurse practitioners, social workers, hospice aides, bereavement and spiritual care volunteers, and administrative positions. Once fully operational, the center will provide jobs for an estimated 28 full-time employees.
