Sojourns Award recognizes leadership in palliative care
BOISE - The Regence Foundation is honoring Hospice of North Idaho with a Sojourns Award for leadership and innovation in advancing palliative care in Idaho. The award includes a $50,000 grant to support continued advancements in palliative care, which HONI plans to use to help hire an additional physician and to continue community and provider education about palliative care.
Palliative care is a medical specialty that brings relief and comfort to seriously ill patients and their families. The award is part of The Regence Foundation’s Sojourns® program to expand access to hospital and community based palliative care services.
“Hospice of North Idaho has been a driving force in improving end-of-life care in Idaho,” said Peggy Maguire, Regence Foundation board chair. “It recognized a need in the community and has worked hard to address it. Its community education and provider training have really contributed to a growing acceptance of and interest in palliative care.”
Hospice of North Idaho was founded in 1981 by group of community volunteers who recognized a great need for end-of-life care in Idaho. Today it has grown to serve more than 800 patients annually through home hospice care, inpatient hospice care and outpatient palliative care services, which can be provided in tandem with curative care. The organization also offers palliative and end-of-life care education and training to area health care providers.
Hospice of North Idaho staff will be honored for their accomplishments at a Sojourns Award ceremony in Portland, Oregon on November 30. To attend or learn more, visit www.regencefoundation.org.
About The Regence Foundation
The Regence Foundation is the corporate foundation of Regence, the largest health insurer in the Northwest/Intermountain region and a nonprofit independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. A 501(c)3 grantmaking organization, the Foundation partners with organizations driving significant change in health care delivery and accessibility in Idaho, Oregon, Utah and Washington. Through its Sojourns program, the Foundation also supports organizations advancing quality palliative and end-of-life care. For more information visit www.RegenceFoundation.org or www.twitter.com/RegenceGives.