CEDAR VALLEY HOSPICE IN WATERLOO, IOWA

At PDC Rx, we genuinely consider it an honor to work with some outstanding hospice organizations. For this month’s Hospice Highlight, we are proud to feature Cedar Valley Hospice in Waterloo, Iowa. Their mission is to enrich lives with knowledge, respect, and compassionate care. While their main service is hospice care for those nearing the end-of-life, Cedar Valley Hospice (a not-for-profit, mission driven organization since 1979) also offers palliative care for those not quite ready for hospice, adult and youth grief services to the entire community, and case management for those living with HIV or AIDS through their Cedar AIDS Support System.

Every month, Cedar Valley Hospice has the assistance of over 400 volunteers, including patient family volunteers, those who help with fundraising and events, office volunteers as well as cookie bakers and quilters. The amount of community support they receive says a lot about the respect they have earned by providing outstanding service. As Helen Keller said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

Every day staff lives and breathes their mission, and they work very hard to make that tagline true for families. “The goal is for our families to just be able to be themselves (the wife, the daughter, the son) and not have to worry about being a full-time caretaker for their loved one,” said Stacey Weinke, Director of Clinical Services. She went on to say, “Our care is about living – living well in the time you have left.” It is clear to see why so many of their patients and their families call them “angels on Earth.”

Part of their magical formula is the high regard they give to transparency. They believe the greatest gift they can give is that of knowledge and choice, so they strive to provide patients and families with all available options for their care. Patients and families are empowered to make informed decisions about what is right for them.

At admission, each patient at Cedar Valley Hospice is assigned a nurse, a social worker, a spiritual care counselor, and a hospice physician. Furthermore, if the situation warrants, a music therapist, a hospice aide, and/or a volunteer. Nurses are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to assist patients and families with pain and symptom management. This expert care cuts down on hospital visits and creates a less stressful environment for all involved.

“I bring comfort to people, listen to them and bring them some sunshine – it doesn’t get any better than that...I love my job.”

— Sandi Drees, Hospice Aide

Without question, there are many dimensions to the expert care provided by Cedar Valley Hospice. They have a team of experts to meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of their patients. Their staff is specially trained to Cedar Valley Hospice standards in its dedicated Simulation Lab, where they learn to provide the highest level of knowledge, respect, and compassionate care. They are an organization with a 41-year history of helping families Make Each Moment Matter (their tagline).

“Cedar Valley Hospice is a special place to work, and we have a very unique culture that sets us apart from other employers,” We are in the business of caring for people with terminal illness, and our leadership team understands that how we treat our employees will directly impact the way our staff provide end-of-life care to others.”

— Katie Unland, Human Resources Director

When we asked Cedar Valley to describe the evaluation/admissions process, Stacy Weinke replied, “From the time we receive a referral, we respond as quickly as possible to set up a meeting with the patient/family to explain hospice services. We will be there within 1 hour if the patient/family wishes but it is always their choice. If there are any questions or uncertainties about hospice eligibility, there is always discussion with the hospice Medical Director to review the patients’ medical information. Once a patient/family has indicated that they indeed want hospice services, we conduct the admission right away, sometimes at the initial visit if they so choose. Obviously much depends on each individual patient situation and immediate need, but we will do whatever is needed as quickly as possible to get those needs met timely.”

Now, it is definitely not “all work and no play” for the staff at Cedar Valley Hospice. Certainly, their mission motivates the staff to perform their difficult jobs with compassion and dignity, but they also understand that patients and their families reap a direct benefit from the work culture. As Executive Director Michaela Vandersee, said, “The happiness of our staff is a priority and has a direct, positive impact on those we serve.” She went on to say that there are always office treats in the breakrooms, or it could be “Office Bingo” or “Ugly sweater” day -- all of these things increase engagement. For this and more, Cedar Valley Hospice won the national 2020 Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award.

PDC Rx Contributor: Joanna Rasp