Arkansas Hospice

Although established a decade ago, it has only been in the past three years that Arkansas Hospice has recorded phenomenal growth.

Four years ago, there were three employees. Today, there are 150, most of them registered nurses, social workers and nurses aides. And there are some 270 volunteers.

Arkansas Hospice, officially incorporated as Hospice Foundation of Arkansas, operates the state’s only licensed hospice facilities and serves more than 900 patients and their families each year.

While much of the organization’s funding comes through reimbursement fees for services from Medicare or insurance carriers, Arkansas Hospice provides its end-of-life care services regardless of the patient’s ability to pay. Last year, the organization provided more than $650,000 in charity care.

Its goals are to increase the average daily number of patients in its home-based programs from 70 to 120 by 2005. In its hospice facilities, the goal is to increase from 22 to 39 patients a day by 2005. Patients come from throughout the state.

Currently, Arkansas Hospice operates facilities at the Veterans Administration Hospital and at St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center. It has a satellite home-based service at Conway. Also among its growing programs is a community resale shop to help support its services.

Besides mentoring and promoting other hospice programs across the state and encouraging all areas to meet the needs of those who are in their final weeks of life, Arkansas Hospice has been active working with the state in establishing standards for hospice facilities.

Another goal is to build a freestanding hospice facility on its 10-acre plot in west Little Rock.

Michael V. Aureli, executive director, says a name change is ahead for the nonprofit. In the future it will officially be Arkansas Hospice, which is what most people now know it as anyway.

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