Clinical
Each year, Community Hospice has the distinct honor and privilege to provide compassionate care and support for our friends and neighbors who turn to us during their time of need. By offering community-based palliative and hospice care, we focus on the medical, physical, spiritual and emotional support needed to assist patients and families. Our goal is to empower those we serve to make decisions that are best for them. Through gentle quality care, symptom management and education, many patients are able to maintain independence and participate in meaningful life experiences.
Community Hospice has continued to provide quality care and support to so many in need, including those diagnosed with COVID-19, throughout our communities. Our dedication and loyalty to our patients and families has never faltered and will remain our focus. We are staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and just a phone call away.
Community Hospice has continued to provide quality care and support to so many in need, including those diagnosed with COVID-19, throughout our communities. Our dedication and loyalty to our patients and families has never faltered and will remain our focus. We are staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and just a phone call away.
"I wanted to thank the staff for the tender, loving care you gave my brother. It was very difficult to be so far away, and the staff was a source of support and comfort." – A Grateful Family
Community-based Palliative Care
Community Care Choices is a community-based Palliative Care Program focused on providing compassionate care to patients with chronic or serious illnesses through symptom management, education and support.
We are proud that this program was one of the first in the state to receive Certification from Community Health Accreditation Partners (CHAP). This certification is based on meeting specific quality care targets demonstrating the industry’s highest nationally recognized standards of excellence in palliative care.
Our specially trained Nurse Case Managers and Social Workers visit our patients wherever they call home. In collaboration and partnership with their physician, our staff develop an individualized care plan to provide comfort, pain and symptom management to improve quality of life. Our dedicated team helps patients, caregivers and families navigate the challenges and overcome barriers of the healthcare system; advocating for them while they continue to seek curative and life-prolonging treatments.
In 2022, we had the honor of caring for a total 156 patients, admitting 67 new patients into our Community Care Choices program.
We are proud that this program was one of the first in the state to receive Certification from Community Health Accreditation Partners (CHAP). This certification is based on meeting specific quality care targets demonstrating the industry’s highest nationally recognized standards of excellence in palliative care.
Our specially trained Nurse Case Managers and Social Workers visit our patients wherever they call home. In collaboration and partnership with their physician, our staff develop an individualized care plan to provide comfort, pain and symptom management to improve quality of life. Our dedicated team helps patients, caregivers and families navigate the challenges and overcome barriers of the healthcare system; advocating for them while they continue to seek curative and life-prolonging treatments.
In 2022, we had the honor of caring for a total 156 patients, admitting 67 new patients into our Community Care Choices program.
Hospice Care
Those who have trusted Community Hospice to care for their terminally ill loved ones can attest that our focus is not solely on dying. Community Hospice provides the highest quality care that focuses on comfort, quality of life, and the wishes of the patient and family.
Care is provided wherever the patient calls home, including private residences, assisted living facilities, hospitals, nursing homes and at the Alexander Cohen Hospice House. In some circumstances, the care we provide has extended the life of our patient, allowing for the time needed by friends and family to share their love and say their proper goodbyes. Regardless of the setting, our staff apply their expertise to the care of both our patients and their families. Staff are available 24 hours a day to provide the clinical, spiritual and emotional support to weather the path ahead. Services are provided by an interdisciplinary team which includes our Medical Director, Nurse Practitioners, Nurses, Attending Physicians, Social Workers, Chaplains, Home Health/Hospice Aides, Dietitian, Volunteers and Grief Facilitators.
In 2022, we had the honor of providing hospice care to 1,613 patients and their families. We are truly grateful for the trust and assurance that our community members and healthcare partners place in our staff to provide compassionate and quality care for their most vulnerable patients, families and loved ones.
We are honored and privileged to have had the opportunity to care for our community members and look forward to serving those in years to come.
Care is provided wherever the patient calls home, including private residences, assisted living facilities, hospitals, nursing homes and at the Alexander Cohen Hospice House. In some circumstances, the care we provide has extended the life of our patient, allowing for the time needed by friends and family to share their love and say their proper goodbyes. Regardless of the setting, our staff apply their expertise to the care of both our patients and their families. Staff are available 24 hours a day to provide the clinical, spiritual and emotional support to weather the path ahead. Services are provided by an interdisciplinary team which includes our Medical Director, Nurse Practitioners, Nurses, Attending Physicians, Social Workers, Chaplains, Home Health/Hospice Aides, Dietitian, Volunteers and Grief Facilitators.
In 2022, we had the honor of providing hospice care to 1,613 patients and their families. We are truly grateful for the trust and assurance that our community members and healthcare partners place in our staff to provide compassionate and quality care for their most vulnerable patients, families and loved ones.
We are honored and privileged to have had the opportunity to care for our community members and look forward to serving those in years to come.
Pediatric Care Programs
"To all the angels who so lovingly cared for my son. Thank you from the deepest part of a mother's heart." – A Grateful Mother
Learning the news that a child has a serious or life limiting illness is never welcomes and simply heartbreaking. The thought that recovery is not likely is devastating to families. At Community Hospice we understand the needs and challenges of children and their families facing advanced illnesses and walk beside them to assist during their difficult journey ahead. Our specialized pediatric care programs offer children and their families the option of concurrent care. This allows all the benefits of palliative and hospice support and the ability to have aggressive treatment at the same time.
In 2022, we had the honor of caring for 32 pediatric patients and their families, admitting 17 new patients into our Pediatric Care Programs.
In 2022, we had the honor of caring for 32 pediatric patients and their families, admitting 17 new patients into our Pediatric Care Programs.
Alexander Cohen Hospice House
"The Hospice House is where my grandma told me she loved me for the last time. Where my family all came together and surrounded her with love as she transitioned to Heaven." – A grateful family.
The Alexander Cohen Hospice House is a one-of-a-kind inpatient hospice facility located in Hughson, California. The hospice house includes 16 private inpatient rooms with all the amenities of home for patients and families and delivers comprehensive 24-hour nursing care.
For more than 18 years the Alexander Cohen Hospice House has provided compassionate and quality care for patients and families in our community. Our dedicated staff consists of both Registered and Licensed Vocational Nurses, Medical Social Workers, Chaplains, Dietitian, Home Health/Hospice Aides and volunteers. Patient care is overseen by a skilled and knowledgeable Medical Director and the Hospice House Administrator.
The Alexander Cohen Hospice House predominantly provides two levels of care for our patients and families. General Inpatient Care (GIP) is the highest level of hospice care where staff utilize their expertise in symptom management to alleviate symptoms not controlled in the home environment. Respite is the level of care which allows the caregiver up to five days of a much-needed rest from care giving.
In 2022, we had the honor of caring for 403 patients and their families.
For more than 18 years the Alexander Cohen Hospice House has provided compassionate and quality care for patients and families in our community. Our dedicated staff consists of both Registered and Licensed Vocational Nurses, Medical Social Workers, Chaplains, Dietitian, Home Health/Hospice Aides and volunteers. Patient care is overseen by a skilled and knowledgeable Medical Director and the Hospice House Administrator.
The Alexander Cohen Hospice House predominantly provides two levels of care for our patients and families. General Inpatient Care (GIP) is the highest level of hospice care where staff utilize their expertise in symptom management to alleviate symptoms not controlled in the home environment. Respite is the level of care which allows the caregiver up to five days of a much-needed rest from care giving.
In 2022, we had the honor of caring for 403 patients and their families.
Quality Assurance
2022 Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) scores for assessing family satisfaction of hospice care for “Overall Rating of Care” as well as “Would Recommend” using National Research Corporation benchmarking system. This graph demonstrates the data received for 2022 based off returned patient/family satisfaction surveys.
National Research Corporation Data (January – December 2022)
National Research Corporation Data (January – December 2022)
Community Care Choices Community-Based Palliative Care Program collaborates with the Palliative Care Quality Collaborative (PCQC). PCQC aims to improve comparison reports, align with national standards, inform, research and increase quality improvement, and explore Electronic Medical Record (EMR) integration. This organization allows us to submit our patient data and compare our palliative care program to similar programs. We provided care for 156 patients and made 1,887 Registered Nurse and/or Master’s in Social Work patient care visits by the Community Care Choices team in 2022.
Education
Though the public health crisis still causes some hindrance, we are proud to serve our community by offering a variety of educational opportunities and look forward to a future, welcoming people back in person with fewer limitations. Dedicated to providing education and resources to our staff, patients, families, community residents and healthcare professionals, we offer several annual educational events providing Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for clinicians in the Central Valley.
This year, with the decrease in COVID-19 numbers, we continued our partnership with Modesto Junior College and have expanded our clinical education partnership with California State University Stanislaus in both Turlock and Stockton, offering students the opportunity to have a hands-on experience with palliative care and hospice services. We were pleased to welcome 120 students in 2022, who joined us for clinical rotations to learn valuable insight regarding end-of-life care options.
Our long-standing relationship with Modesto school districts Regional Occupational Programs (ROP) affords us the ability to provide home health aide rotations for their students. As a result of this successful program, several home health aides have applied to work for Community Hospice after the completion of their program. In addition to this exciting development, we created a new partnership with Lady Permanente of Turlock, CA and hired eight of their home health aide graduates.
After a lengthy delay due to the public health crisis, we were finally able to meet Allison Massari who presented on the Heart and Soul of Healthcare. Allison’s passion for helping and inspiring others was clear through her wonderful presentation of her experience with trauma, grief and strength.
Our annual Partners in Caring event took place in early October. The theme was Living Above Our Circumstances through Reconnection, Resiliency, Rejuvenation. Participants enjoyed presentations from our keynote Reverend Michael Douglass, the local Modesto Police Department Community Health Assessment Team (CHAT), Edward Eissabake, Memorial Medical Center Chaplain and several Community Hospice staff members. The day finished with an exciting panel discussion on cultural considerations at the end of life.
Our Community Connections, Your Bridge to Resources series provides valuable educational support and resources for community members, not only for themselves but also for their loved ones, friends and neighbors. In 2022, we provided free monthly virtual seminars via Zoom to our communities throughout the Central Valley and beyond. In addition, this past year we continued our collaboration with our partners at Sutter Memorial Medical Center to offer our Caring for the Caregiver, a free virtual educational series for caregivers. Together, we had 498 community members view our virtual seminars. Lecture focused on teaching and providing resources for patents and their caregivers during changing times and stresses that we have not encountered before. We are so grateful for the opportunity to partner with Sutter and proud to help our community grow stronger together. A recording of our virtual presentations can be found on the Community Hospice YouTube channel.
Our in-house library is open to the public and regularly updated at both our Stanislaus and San Joaquin offices. Our libraries provide a variety of books and resources related to health and aging topics. To learn more call 209.578.6300.
Speakers Bureau
Community Hospice provides experienced speakers on a number of topics related to palliative, hospice and grief support. In addition to our calendar of continuing education classes, our speakers are available to come to your organization or office. To learn more or schedule an inservice please contact our Director of Public Relations at 209.578.6300 or visit hospiceheart.org.
This year, with the decrease in COVID-19 numbers, we continued our partnership with Modesto Junior College and have expanded our clinical education partnership with California State University Stanislaus in both Turlock and Stockton, offering students the opportunity to have a hands-on experience with palliative care and hospice services. We were pleased to welcome 120 students in 2022, who joined us for clinical rotations to learn valuable insight regarding end-of-life care options.
Our long-standing relationship with Modesto school districts Regional Occupational Programs (ROP) affords us the ability to provide home health aide rotations for their students. As a result of this successful program, several home health aides have applied to work for Community Hospice after the completion of their program. In addition to this exciting development, we created a new partnership with Lady Permanente of Turlock, CA and hired eight of their home health aide graduates.
After a lengthy delay due to the public health crisis, we were finally able to meet Allison Massari who presented on the Heart and Soul of Healthcare. Allison’s passion for helping and inspiring others was clear through her wonderful presentation of her experience with trauma, grief and strength.
Our annual Partners in Caring event took place in early October. The theme was Living Above Our Circumstances through Reconnection, Resiliency, Rejuvenation. Participants enjoyed presentations from our keynote Reverend Michael Douglass, the local Modesto Police Department Community Health Assessment Team (CHAT), Edward Eissabake, Memorial Medical Center Chaplain and several Community Hospice staff members. The day finished with an exciting panel discussion on cultural considerations at the end of life.
Our Community Connections, Your Bridge to Resources series provides valuable educational support and resources for community members, not only for themselves but also for their loved ones, friends and neighbors. In 2022, we provided free monthly virtual seminars via Zoom to our communities throughout the Central Valley and beyond. In addition, this past year we continued our collaboration with our partners at Sutter Memorial Medical Center to offer our Caring for the Caregiver, a free virtual educational series for caregivers. Together, we had 498 community members view our virtual seminars. Lecture focused on teaching and providing resources for patents and their caregivers during changing times and stresses that we have not encountered before. We are so grateful for the opportunity to partner with Sutter and proud to help our community grow stronger together. A recording of our virtual presentations can be found on the Community Hospice YouTube channel.
Our in-house library is open to the public and regularly updated at both our Stanislaus and San Joaquin offices. Our libraries provide a variety of books and resources related to health and aging topics. To learn more call 209.578.6300.
Speakers Bureau
Community Hospice provides experienced speakers on a number of topics related to palliative, hospice and grief support. In addition to our calendar of continuing education classes, our speakers are available to come to your organization or office. To learn more or schedule an inservice please contact our Director of Public Relations at 209.578.6300 or visit hospiceheart.org.
Camp Erin® of the Central Valley
Camp Erin of the Central Valley Provides a unique opportunity to youth who have had a death loss of a loved one. Children and teens ages 6 to 17 attend a weekend camp experience that provides traditional camp activities, grief education, emotional support and healing. It also allows an opportunity to meet others who are grieving and can relate to their experience. Led by bereavement professionals and caring volunteers, camp provides an environment to explore grief feelings, learn coping skills and make new friends.
In 2022, 89 brave campers joined us on June 10-12 for Camp Erin of the Central Valley. Camp included traditional camp activities as well as grief education and an opportunity for children to honor and memorialize their loved one. We are looking forward to celebrating our 10th year of camp again on June 2-4, 2023, and will be utilizing Camp Sylvester a new location in Pinecrest CA. To learn more or to apply to be a camper or volunteer visit camperincentralvalley.org.
In 2022, 89 brave campers joined us on June 10-12 for Camp Erin of the Central Valley. Camp included traditional camp activities as well as grief education and an opportunity for children to honor and memorialize their loved one. We are looking forward to celebrating our 10th year of camp again on June 2-4, 2023, and will be utilizing Camp Sylvester a new location in Pinecrest CA. To learn more or to apply to be a camper or volunteer visit camperincentralvalley.org.
Grief Support Services
Grieving the death of a loved one can be one of the most difficult life experiences for many people that requires additional care and support. Some of the most common reported feelings after a death loss include sadness, anger, despair, emptiness, loneliness and regret. There is no limit on grief, and everyone goes through the process in their own way. Community Hospice is here to help our community members walk through their grief journey that is unique to their own experience. We provide grief support for children ages six and older, for adolescents and adults.
Grief Support Services are available through multiple programs including:
Children’s Grief Support Services
Children often are referred to as the forgotten or invisible grievers. You may not always see children’s grief displayed outwardly. Internally, children may feel and react to emotions that are difficult to express. Like adults, children have a wide range of reactions to grief and loss that can be affected by multiple variables. They might not have the words or understanding of what they feel to communicate or process their experience.
In 2022, our grief staff supported a total of 514 children. Individual and group support was provided to 332 children in 61 area schools throughout Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties. In addition, a total of 1,314 individual sessions were provided to children. Furthermore, a total of 89 children attended Camp Erin of the Central Valley.
Adult Grief Support Services
Grief support was provided to 1,013 newly grieving adults through our hospice program, with 633 individual grief support sessions. In addition, we provided our annual Coping with the Holidays and Family Tree Decorating Ceremony. Due to the pandemic, both events were offered in a virtual setting and were received with great success. This year’s theme for Coping with the Holidays was Choosing Hope: Finding Joy After Loss, featuring Karina Castillo, Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than 25 years of experience working in the field of social work, counseling, and hospice bereavement. We honored 56 hospice patients and their families at our Family Tree Decorating Ceremony. This beautiful evening included the lighting of our Christmas tree, and melodious music provided by one of our hospice volunteers. We are grateful for the trust of those we serve.
For more information about Grief Support Services call 209.578.6300 or email heal@hospiceheart.org.
Crisis Response Team
This past year the demand for assistance from our community during a crisis event increased dramatically. In 2022, our Crisis Response Team responded to a total of 13 crisis calls and 6 follow up calls for sudden, unexpected death circumstances, supporting 182 children and 133 adults.
Grief Support Services are available through multiple programs including:
- Individual Support
- Group Sessions
- Children’s Grief Support
- School-Based Grief Program
- Camp Erin® of the Central Valley
- Community and School-Based Crisis Response
- Mourning Opioid Overdose Death (MOOD) Program
Children’s Grief Support Services
Children often are referred to as the forgotten or invisible grievers. You may not always see children’s grief displayed outwardly. Internally, children may feel and react to emotions that are difficult to express. Like adults, children have a wide range of reactions to grief and loss that can be affected by multiple variables. They might not have the words or understanding of what they feel to communicate or process their experience.
In 2022, our grief staff supported a total of 514 children. Individual and group support was provided to 332 children in 61 area schools throughout Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties. In addition, a total of 1,314 individual sessions were provided to children. Furthermore, a total of 89 children attended Camp Erin of the Central Valley.
Adult Grief Support Services
Grief support was provided to 1,013 newly grieving adults through our hospice program, with 633 individual grief support sessions. In addition, we provided our annual Coping with the Holidays and Family Tree Decorating Ceremony. Due to the pandemic, both events were offered in a virtual setting and were received with great success. This year’s theme for Coping with the Holidays was Choosing Hope: Finding Joy After Loss, featuring Karina Castillo, Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than 25 years of experience working in the field of social work, counseling, and hospice bereavement. We honored 56 hospice patients and their families at our Family Tree Decorating Ceremony. This beautiful evening included the lighting of our Christmas tree, and melodious music provided by one of our hospice volunteers. We are grateful for the trust of those we serve.
For more information about Grief Support Services call 209.578.6300 or email heal@hospiceheart.org.
Crisis Response Team
This past year the demand for assistance from our community during a crisis event increased dramatically. In 2022, our Crisis Response Team responded to a total of 13 crisis calls and 6 follow up calls for sudden, unexpected death circumstances, supporting 182 children and 133 adults.
"You guys are a wonderful organization. I couldn't have done it without you." – A Grateful Family
Hope Counseling
To meet the needs of our community, Community Hospice launched Hope Counseling in September 2021. It was recognized that our community needed additional support in areas of mental health such as depression, grief and loss, anxiety, trauma, and marriage and relationship issues.
Hope Counseling offers compassionate and high-quality care using evidence-based practices. Therapeutic support is available for children, teens, individuals, and couples who are experiencing barriers that may impede their ability to live life fully.
Our highly skilled and dedicated clinicians are Licensed Clinical Social Workers or Marriage and Family Therapists who are paneled with several major insurances. Hope Counseling provides a discounted rate for uninsured and underinsured clients. Hope Counseling is offered to clients through in-person, telephonic and virtual platforms.
In 2022, Hope Counseling served a total of 89 clients and provided 480 sessions. Clients are empowered and provided resources to develop strength and resiliency. Our expansion of therapeutic services supports those in need of guidance, improved well-being, healing and hope. To learn more or to make a schedule an appointment call 209.578.6373 or email info@HopeCounseling.health.
Hope Counseling offers compassionate and high-quality care using evidence-based practices. Therapeutic support is available for children, teens, individuals, and couples who are experiencing barriers that may impede their ability to live life fully.
Our highly skilled and dedicated clinicians are Licensed Clinical Social Workers or Marriage and Family Therapists who are paneled with several major insurances. Hope Counseling provides a discounted rate for uninsured and underinsured clients. Hope Counseling is offered to clients through in-person, telephonic and virtual platforms.
In 2022, Hope Counseling served a total of 89 clients and provided 480 sessions. Clients are empowered and provided resources to develop strength and resiliency. Our expansion of therapeutic services supports those in need of guidance, improved well-being, healing and hope. To learn more or to make a schedule an appointment call 209.578.6373 or email info@HopeCounseling.health.
Volunteer Services
Community Hospice Volunteers are the heart of our hospice. We are filled with gratitude for their continued support and dedication to the mission of Community Hospice.
In 2022, we were fortunate to have the support of 380 volunteers, who contributed 12,747 hours of service in all aspects of our organization, including offering comfort via cards, in person, pet therapy, music enhancement therapy for patients and their families, and more. We had 36 volunteers return to support our Camp Erin of the Central Valley program, offering support to grieving children and teens in our community.
We were very excited to welcome our volunteers back to our Modesto office to celebrate them and show our appreciation for all they do at our annual Volunteer Appreciation Ceremony. Our theme was Volunteer are our Sunshine! Volunteers were recognized with a certificate of appreciation, and four individuals received the Mary Jean Coeur-Barron Volunteer of the Year Award for their exceptional dedication and commitment to the mission of Community Hospice.
Congratulations to the following and thank you again for your steadfast commitment and dedication.
Pamela DiFrancia
Friends of Community Hospice
Joanne Serpa
Community Hospice
Trina Stoughtenborough
Camp Erin of the Central Valley
Vivian Baca
Hope Chest Thrift Stores
We welcome your time and talent!
There are many opportunities to lend a helping hand at Community Hospice. Areas of opportunity and service include patient and family visitors, Board leadership, fundraising, marketing and public relations, finance, grief support, retail operations, Camp Erin of the Central Valley and general office duties. For more information about volunteer opportunities call 209.578.6300 or visit hospiceheart.org.