Changes and Transitions
Seasons change and people, too, come and go. As many of you know, over the past few months we at CVHS have been preparing for upcoming staff changes.
Maybeth Hoagland, Clinical Program Coordinator, and our much appreciated colleague, has retired from her work life. In addition, Karen Turner, who has been a valuable member of our team in providing grief counselling for clients on and off for the past several years is just completing her Masters Degree and will also be leaving Hospice by mid April; and, Evelyne Forbes, who has also been a valuable member of our team, provided grief counselling in the past and who stepped back in to help us during the transition, will be stepping back from that responsibility again in late May. And finally, the New Horizons Grant for Seniors has come to an end, meaning that our outreach office on Puntledge has been closed and Diane Huddle will be changing her level of involvement with CVHS. Many of those programs and services will be rolled back in to our general office services as personnel and resources permit.
We have been so fortunate to have such qualified, energetic and caring individuals guiding our programs and services for clients, volunteers and the community as a whole. They have given us a firm foundation upon which to build.
New Staff Announcements
While we say good-bye to those we know, we are also welcoming new staff on board.
Barb Warren, MSN, RN, will be joining us as Program Coordinator in August. Barb holds a Masters in Nursing and comes to CVHS with extensive experience in hospice palliative care in the Fraser Health Authority and the Vancouver Island Health Authority where she has been the Director of Home and Community Care for the North Island for the past 4 years. Barb will be retiring from her current position sometime in May/June and joining Hospice shortly thereafter.
Ruth Barry and Brenda Stanton, known to Hospice through their volunteer work, will now both be working part time as our new grief counselors. In addition, they will also assist in training and supporting bereavement volunteers primarily and all volunteers generally.
Ruth recently immigrated from Britain where she was both a hospice and cancer care counselor. She comes to us with a Masters in integrative psychotherapy and a keen interest in holistic health. In the year that Ruth has been a volunteer with CVHS she has taken on some of the more complex palliative and bereavement clients and has co-facilitated the bereaved parents group. Ruth will be starting in her new staff role April 1st.
Brenda has a degree in Social Work with experience in counseling. She is also a skilled Healing Touch practitioner. A volunteer with CVHS for the past couple of years, Brenda has provided both grief support and healing touch to clients and their families. Brenda began orientation in her staff role last week. She will also retain her volunteer role as team leader for the Self Care Clinic on Wednesday afternoons.
During The Transition
Between Maybeth’s leaving March 31st and Barb Warren’s starting in early-mid August, Christy Linder, who many of you know as our wonderful Volunteer Coordinator, will be responsible for the daily oversight of the hospice, bereavement and volunteer programs and services with assistance from Ruth, Brenda and Danielle (who has been a wonderful addition to our office). We are so very fortunate to have Christy, back from her extended leave, to bring her wisdom and experience back to support our clinical programs and the clients we serve. Of course, all of this will be supplemented individually and collectively by our wonderful volunteers who are directly involved in providing compassionate care and support to clients, their families and caregivers.
Please feel free to contact programs@comoxhospice.com for program information or referrals. In the alternative, also please feel free to contact Christy at 250-339-5533.
Please join with me in thanking those who have given so much and in welcoming those who bring so much passion and enthusiasm to our evolving team. We are all so honoured to do this work and look forward to continuing with you as we strive to enhance end of life care for all those in need.
As always, please let me know if you have any questions or if I can be of assistance.
Thanks so much—
Terri
Contact Us
Location:
2137 Comox Avenue
Comox, BC
Canada
V9M 1P2
Our office hours:
Monday to Friday 9AM - 3PM
Phone: 250-339-5533
Fax: 250-339-5063
After hours phone number:
250-334-7475 (urgent needs only please)
Staff Contact List
Terri Odeneal, MSN, RN
Executive Director
terri@comoxhospice.com
Barb Warren
Clinical Program Coordinator
programs@comoxhospice.com
Christy Linder
Volunteer Coordinator
volunteer@comoxhospice.com
Brenda Stanton
Bereavement Counsellor
brenda@comoxhospice.com
Ruth Barry
Bereavement Counsellor
ruth@comoxhospice.com
Monique Thompson
Administrative Assistant/Office Manager
admin@comoxhospice.com
Danielle Hitchcock
Program Assistant
reception@comoxhospice.com
Nicole Burgess, BMus, BMT, MTA
Music Therapy
Melanie Swanson
Office Assistant
Life Centered Living Outreach Center
