November 7, 2022
Children grieve differently than adults and they often experience feelings of isolation, confusion and despair after losing someone close to them.
Increase your knowledge by visiting heal.hospiceheart.org
For youth grief support visit:
October 5, 2022
October is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Month, and it’s vital to acknowledge the often devastating stress that a miscarriage or the loss of a newborn baby can place on a parent. For stories on infant and pregnancy loss visit:
August 30, 2022
August 24, 2022
Community Hospice Announces New President/Chief Executive Officer Alisa Bettis
MODESTO, CA (August 24, 2022) – Community Hospice, Inc., the Central Valley’s oldest and largest nonprofit hospice and community-based palliative care provider, is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Alisa Bettis as the organization’s President and Chief Executive Officer effective September 6, 2022. Ms. Bettis replaces C. DeSha McLeod, Community Hospice’s President/CEO, who resigned after eight years in October of 2021, and John E. Renner, Director of Logistics and Operations who has served as the Interim President/CEO.
“We welcome Alisa to the Community Hospice family,” shared Susan Donker, Community Hospice Board of Directors Chair. “Her background in clinical operations, quality and planning and compliance, along with her compassionate character, will play a pivotal role as we extend our excellent care to more families in need.”
Ms. Bettis has been employed the past six years as the Associate Director for the Stanislaus County Health Services Agency. In her current role, she managed a $60 million annual budget, 500 employees, 55,000 patient visits a year, clinical operations for family medicine, multispecialty, physical rehabilitation, and urgent care clinics. Prior to her position with the county, Alisa worked in leadership roles at both Bloss Memorial Healthcare District/Castle Family Health Centers and Kaiser Permanente.
“We are thrilled to have Alisa join Community Hospice and feel she is a perfect complement to our Leadership team and Community Hospice family,” said John E. Renner, Interim President/CEO. “Her invaluable background and experiences will support our staff and most importantly, help us better serve our patients and their families.”
“I am very excited to join Community Hospice and its excellent team. For more than 40 years, Community Hospice has grown from an inspired idea by two registered nurses to a respected and leading provider of vital service for those with serious and life-limiting illness in the Central Valley area,” said Ms. Bettis. “I am very much looking forward to the opportunity to work with the dedicated Community Hospice and Foundation Boards, volunteers and incredibly talented healthcare professionals and staff.”
Ms. Bettis holds a Bachelor’s degree from California State University Sacramento, in Health Sciences with a concentration in Healthcare Administration and Community Health Education and a Master’s of Business Administration from California State University Stanislaus. She is also a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality, Healthcare Accreditation, Healthcare Compliance and Lean Healthcare Trained.
About Community Hospice
Community Hospice is a nonprofit, community-based hospice agency, serving the Central Valley since 1979. Community Hospice embraces individuals and families facing life-changing journeys, enhancing quality of life for all. Care extends to over 2,000 patients and families every year in private homes, skilled nursing facilities and at the sixteen-room Alexander Cohen Hospice House. Community Hospice also provides palliative care, grief and mental health support. For more information, please call 209.578.6300 or visit give.hospiceheart.org.
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Contact
Kristin Mostowski
209.402.5154
Kristin.mostowski@hospiceheart
August 12, 2022
“When someone is in a heightened state due to a stressful or traumatic event, it is harder to think with the rational part of the brain so they default to using the emotional parts of their brain. These are the parts that struggle with reasoning, memory, and long-term thinking.”-whatsyourgrief.com
July 5, 2022
A Year of Grieving: Reflections on healing from a medical student, sister, and utterly lost griever: “It has been about a year since my sister has passed and reflecting on what this last year has had in store for me I’ve realized that I missed a HUGE lesson. One that is fundamentally tied to my career and one that my sister has emphasized to me for the last 2 years. Hurt people need to heal and losing someone hurts.”- Farah Abaza To read all of Farah’s essay please visit What’s Your Grief with this link: https://bit.ly/3yskF7q
March 2, 2022
“A study explained why some elderly couples pass away only a short time apart. It’s a story that’s familiar and sad, if completely romantic: one half of an elderly couple passes away, and the partner follows soon after…”-Southern Living
December 30, 2021
“The new year is a marker in time. As we transition from 2021 into 2022, some of you may be feeling ambivalent. Part of you may be digging in your heels, while another part can’t wait for this challenging year to end.”- mindfulnessandgrief.com
December 20, 2021
“ The “Season of Family” provides us an opportunity to celebrate and remember those loved ones who have been important to us. During the season, we have an opportunity to decide as family units to hold on to past traditions that have been important to us, to let go of the traditions that are no longer feasible, and to create new traditions that honor the past as well as move us forward as a family. This holiday toolkit is provided with the hopes it will provide ideas and inspiration for families to celebrate loved ones, those present and those who have died.”-NACG
December 17, 2021
December 13, 2021
Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of American adults say that the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the need for increased bereavement support, a report from the New York Life Foundation finds.
Based on a survey of more than forty-three hundred adults conducted in September, The State of Grief Report: COVID-19’s Impact on Bereavement Support in America (20 pages, PDF) found that 65 percent of respondents who had lost a loved one to COVID-19 weren’t able to grieve in person with family and friends. And despite 63 percent of those who lost someone to COVID-19 reporting that they were now more open to talking about death and loss, 52 percent did not seek out grief support during the pandemic. According to the report, 79 percent of those who had lost a loved one and 71 percent of all respondents said they wanted a more open, national dialogue about death and loss; 51 percent said the pandemic had prompted such conversations with friends and/or family; and 54 percent of parents of school-age children said they had had such conversations with their children. Yet 26 percent of all respondents were unaware of any bereavement services available to them.
The survey also found that, while only 28 percent of employed respondents were aware of the grief support and /or bereavement resources offered by their workplace and 30 percent were unsure of their employers’ bereavement leave policy, about two-thirds expressed interest in paid (67 percent), extended (66 percent), or flexible (65 percent) bereavement leave. Among parents of school-age children, 61 percent said COVID-19 has opened their eyes to the need for more grief support services in school, 69 percent agreed that grief support should be a priority for schools, and 71 percent wanted schools to give them more information and guidance on how they can help their children through traumatic events. Types of support parents saw as top priorities for schools were encouraging peer-to-peer support (79 percent), proactive communication to parents and guardians about available resources and support (79 percent), resources for students about death and grief (79 percent), access or referrals to grief counseling (78 percent), and training for educators on providing grief support (78 percent).
“We know that families in under-resourced communities and Black and/or Latino youth have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 -related deaths,” said Julie Kaplow, executive director of the Trauma and Grief Center at the Hackett Center for Mental Health in Houston and executive director of the Trauma and Grief Center at Children’s Hospital New Orleans. “Unfortunately, these are often the same children and families who have already suffered from prior traumas and losses, making the additional deaths due to the pandemic even more impactful.”
“Historically, we have been a grief-averse society, but our survey indicates that the pandemic may prove to be an inflection point, dramatically underscoring the need for more grief awareness, understanding, and dialogue,” said New York Life Foundation president Heather Nesle. “We all need to embrace this moment to encourage open conversations and practical supports — at home, in school, and in the workplace — so people will be properly prepared, cared for, and supported when a loved one dies.”(Photo credit: GettyImages/fizkes)
Click here to read full report:
“The State of Grief Report: COVID-19’s Impact on Bereavement Support in America.” New York
Life Foundation report 12/08/2021.”New York Life Foundation’s inaugural ‘State of Grief’
report: Americans want a more open dialogue around death and loss.” New York Life
Foundation press release 12/08/2021.
Subjects: Children / Youth; COVID19; Education; Mental Health
People: Heather Nesle; Julie Kaplow
Organization: New York Life Foundation
Location: National