Good Shepherd Hospice

Good Shepherd Hospice employs close to 225 staff members, including nurses, social workers, chaplains, home health aides, physicians and support staff, as well as a volunteer core of close to three hundred.

Hospice provides emotional, medical, and spiritual support for people who are terminally ill. The goal is to improve patients' quality of life by making them comfortable in their homes. The focus of care is on symptom management rather than curing the disease. Hospice helps families cope with the care of their ill family member and acts as an advocate during this time of illness.

Hospice is a philosophy of care, not a specific place. Although Hospice services may take place in a hospital, skilled nursing facility, or an assisted living residence, care is most often given in the patient's or family member's home. Currently, the staff and volunteers are caring for up to 400 patients and their families each day.

Visit our website for more information: www.GoodShepherdHospice.net

Congressman Timothy Bishop Attends Team Meeting at Good Shepherd for Nurses Day, 2006

• Since the beginning of January 2001, Good Shepherd Hospice has walked with 19,023 individuals and their families through life's most difficult journey. Overall in 2007, Good Shepherd Hospice provided 136,288 days of care to 2,449 residents of Long Island, with an average daily census of 376 individuals.
• In 2007, 51% of our patients were admitted did NOT have cancer.
• In 2007, our 120 active Volunteers dedicated over 12,233 hours of service to help hospice families with a variety of tasks.
• Hospice Emergency Services are available on a 24 hour / 7 day per week basis!
• We serve the residents of Nassau and Suffolk Counties of New York.
• Good Shepherd Hospice sponsors a unique Palliative Care Department that serves the community through educational sessions and direct psychosocial support.
• Medicare, Medicaid and most Commercial Insurance Companies cover: hospice services, medications needed for symptom management, and durable medical equipment.
• Good Shepherd employs approximately 225 staff members with half in the nursing profession.
• Hospice RNs took the re-certification examination in Hospice and Palliative care. All passed the examination. Hospice continues to have all RNs qualified to take the exam certified.
• All staff are now utilizing laptops to document admission and follow up clinical visits. Hospice is the only CHS entity to have a completely electronic medical record.
• Family Satisfaction Surveys, sent to family members two months after a patient's death, continue to be benchmarked with national and New York State results through NHPCE. Good Shepherd continues to achieve at, or above benchmarks in 4 out of 5 domains of questions. Response rates range from 35% to 53%. Through 2007, 99-100% of respondents would recommend Good Shepherd Hospice to others. Additionally, 9 out of 10 patients had symptoms of pain and breathing difficulties, emotional support/anxiety, and spiritual concerns resolved successfully.
• In recent surveys, 99% of the physicians responding to our satisfaction survey indicated that based on the care their patients received, they would recommend and refer others to Good Shepherd Hospice without any hesitation.
• Good Shepherd Hospice will be opening a 16 private bed Inpatient Center on the campus of St. Charles Hospital in August!