In this edition of News from Agrace HospiceCare:
Community Support Key to Auto Raffle Success
Two Physicians Join the Staff
Thrift Store Opening Posts Record Sales
Remembering Bob Heideman
Learning What's Important in a Diverse Community
Your Memory Lives On 2010 Donations
Upcoming Events
Community Support Key to Auto Raffle Success
 It was a happy coincidence when Bob Starcyznski of McFarland won the 2010 Madison Auto Dealers Association Auto Raffle. In the last year, Agrace HospiceCare served both his wife, Susan “Suey,” and his brother, David. The new car arrives just in time for his daughter’s 16th birthday. This year’s raffle raised $50,402 for Agrace HospiceCare’s patients and their families. In prior years, about half the tickets were sold during the Madison Auto Show in January. With the discontinuation of the show this year, auto raffle planners had to get creative. The raffle was moved to a May/June timeframe, and the first six Madison Mallards’ home games became the hot new ticket-selling venue for the event. We thank the Mallards for hosting the final two weekends of the auto raffle ticket sales and allowing our volunteers to hawk raffle tickets to some fantastic fans!
This year’s sponsors were outstanding. The Wisconsin State Journal ran eye-catching ads, and Mid-West Family Broadcasting advertised on six of its stations. Plus, the Mid-West Family stations hosted 12 radio remotes around town and advertised the raffle through their many partners in Madison.
We especially thank the Madison Auto Dealers Association for their donation of the car and their willingness to sell tickets and promote the raffle at all participating dealer locations. They are Bergstrom Cadillac- Hummer; Kayser Automotive Group; Jon Lancaster, Inc.; Don Miller Group; Smart Motors, Inc.; Thorstad Chevrolet, Inc. and Zimbrick, Inc. Thank you to all of these wonderful partners, Agrace HospiceCare’s staff and volunteers, and an amazing community. The funds you helped raise support the care of patients who are uninsured and underinsured, as well as grief counseling for the entire community!
Two Physicians Join the Staff
 Dr. Brian Murphy and Dr. Dena Green join Agrace HospiceCare’s growing team of physicians who care for patients on the Inpatient Unit and in patient homes, and coordinate care with the patient’s attending physician.
Brian has joined Agrace HospiceCare as vice president of medical services, bringing with him solid credentials, extensive experience and a key requirement of the job. “I love the
work,” he said. In addition to his medical credentials, he earned an MBA from George Mason University in May 2010. He comes to Agrace HospiceCare from Capital Hospice, Falls Church, Virginia, one of the largest and most respected nonprofit hospices in the country, where he completed a palliative care fellowship. “Agrace HospiceCare is an innovative leader in the field, and I wanted to be a part of it,” he said. In addition to working with inpatient, in-home and facility patients, he will also develop future programs, support the fellowship program and guide rotations of medical students, residents and fellows.
Dena begins as a medical director in Agrace HospiceCare’s Rock County office on August 31. “It’s a calling for me,” said Dena, who served as a medical director for Agrace HospiceCare in 2007 as well. She comes to Agrace HospiceCare from Mercy Health System in Janesville, where she was a hematology/ oncology physician and co-medical director of the Mercy Hospice. Her internship and her residency were in internal medicine and she completed a clinical/research fellowship in hematology/oncology at the Medical College of Wisconsin. “I can’t change how long a person will live,” she said, “but I can improve their journey with a ‘whole person’ approach and good symptom management.”
Thrift Store Opening Posts Record Sales
 The grand opening of the East Side Agrace HospiceCare Thrift Store on Friday, June 4, saw a little bit of rain and a whole lot of sales! Besides the free hot dogs and sodas, customers picked up quality clothes, jewelry, furniture and housewares at great thrift-store prices. The three-day opening weekend produced $7,500 in net sales, numerous bags of donations and additional sales of auto raffle tickets.
Volunteers were a big help. They assisted customers and donors by cashiering, sorting, pricing and displaying the merchandise. Currently 50 volunteers help to operate this new store, but more volunteers are needed. Visit our website at www.Agrace HospiceCarethriftstore.com to learn more about volunteer opportunities.
Remembering Bob Heideman
 On June 13, 2010, Agrace HospiceCare was privileged to host a memorial service at the Ellen & Peter Johnson Agrace HospiceCare Residence for one of our community’s exceptional people, Bob Heideman, who passed away in December in the Agrace HospiceCare Inpatient Unit. Close to 200 of his friends and family attended the service and shared their memories of Bob’s wonderful work in our community.
Bob and his wife Carroll’s commitment to Agrace HospiceCare goes back a long way. They began making financial gifts to the organization in the 1980s. As their belief in the mission grew, they became volunteered to serve on the planned giving committee and also developed a scholarship fund for end-of-life nursing education. Most recently, they established the Heideman Award of Excellence, an annual award designed to recognize a nonclinical staff member for his/her dedication to the Agrace HospiceCare mission.
Bob will be missed by many, but here at Agrace HospiceCare, his memory will live on through the Heideman Award of Excellence, the contributions that he and Carroll have made together and generosity Carroll continues to show this community.
Learning What's Important in a Diverse Community
 Agrace HospiceCare’s June 25 presentation of “Insights on Hmong Culture: A Focus on Healthcare and End of Life” was an eye-opener for many of the staff, volunteers and community members in attendance. Learning what’s important in traditional Hmong culture is key information for Agrace HospiceCare clinical staff who may find themselves serving a Hmong family in the community.
Agrace HospiceCare RN Leon Bernido led off the presentation with a historical overview of the Hmong people’s journey from Southeast Asia to the United States following the Vietnam War. He was followed by Charles Vue, student services coordinator for the UW–Eau Claire Office of Multicultural Affairs, who spoke on the traditional Hmong approach to healthcare. Listeners learned that this approach combines the physical and spiritual worlds and, more specifically, that illness is caused by a loss of the soul or spirit. “When a person is ill,” said Charles, “they may seek the help of a shaman to determine if the cause of the illness is within the realm of the spirit.”
Likewise, the traditional Hmong approach to the end of life reflects the body/soul relationship. Life is a continuous journey, and death is merely a phase people go through when passing from this plane of existence to the next. This helps Westerners to understand why a Hmong must be dressed in their finest clothes before their last breath. It demonstrates to the community and the family that the person has lived a good life, will be missed and will make a proper entrance into the next world. The audience also learned that about half of the Hmong in the United States have become Christian so there may be a mix of Christian and Shamanic practices. “Getting to know your patients on an individual basis can quickly build rapport,” reassured Charles. “Be patient, keep an open mind and involve the family and family/community leader in the decision-making process.”
Our thanks to Charles Vue and Leon Bernido for their presentation.
Your Memory Lives On - 2010 Donations
Thank you to the more than 200 donors who made financial gifts to Agrace HospiceCare in memory or in honor of someone they loved, through our annual spring appeal, “Your Memory Lives On.”
If you have lost a loved one in your life, you know how important it is to find ways to honor and cherish their memories. The gifts honor the memories of people who are special to each donor, and also help ensure that others in our community have access to Agrace HospiceCare. Their donations will help fund a variety of services that directly support Agrace HospiceCare patients and their families. Click here to see a listing of the 2010 Your Memory Lives On donations.
Thank you, donors. May your memories and your gift bring you comfort and peace.
Events
Aug. 15: Memorial Brick Walk Dedication Ceremony, Madison
Aug. 17: Legacy Circle Donor Recognition Event, Janesville
Sept. 7: 15th Annual Golf Open, Madison
Sept. 14: Q&A: How to Help Children and Teens With Loss
Sept. 15: Legacy Circle Donor Recognition Event, Madison
Sept. 16: Stevens Design Benefit and Furniture Raffle for Agrace HospiceCare, at Stevens Design in Fitchburg. For tickets, call (608) 327-7180.
Sept.16: Q&A: A Gift to Your Family: Advance Care Planning, Janesville
Sept. 21: Q&A: A Gift to Your Family: Advance Care Planning, Madison
Sept. 29: End-of-Life Forum: “End of Life Care: The Way it Could Be.” An all-day conference in Madison for healthcare professionals. Keynote speaker is Stephen P. Kiernan, author of Last Rights.
Oct. 12: Q&A: Living With Grief at the Holidays
Oct. 16: Fall Memorial Quilt Dedication Ceremony, Madison
Oct. 19: Q&A: A Gift to Your Family: Advance Care Planning, Madison
Oct. 23: Butterfly Gala Join us at the Maple Bluff Country Club for an elegant evening of gourmet food and one-of-a-kind auction items, plus music and dancing.
View our full event calendar.
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