As we experience the realities of COVID-19 in our community, Hospice of the Piedmont remains fully committed to providing excellent service and the highest quality of care. Patients and families are our top priority and we must do all that we can to keep them safe as well as our clinical and medical professionals who care for them. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and expansion of Telehealth are now vital to safely caring for patients and families.
As a community-based nonprofit, we are fortunate to have the support of individuals and organizations who have generously made financial commitments and donated personal protective equipment since our first public plea in mid-March. In the last several weeks, a local retired dentist provided hundreds of gowns and gloves to keep clinicians safe; another community member provided a UV sterilizer to our Center for Acute Hospice Care to ensure patient and clinician safety; and more than 1,000 hand sewn masks have been provided to Hospice of the Piedmont for patient families, to make visiting with their loved ones easier and safer.
We are also fortunate that Charlottesville’s CFA Institute has donated 800 N95 masks to keep patients safe. “We are all stronger when we work together. By protecting first responders and healthcare workers, we can increase the likelihood that they remain healthy, and will be able to serve our community when we need it most.” Said Kelli Palmer, Head, Global Inclusion & Diversity and Corporate Citizenship for CFA institute.
Through our longstanding partnership with Virginia National Bank, we have joined with other national hospices, through the National Partnership for Hospice Innovation (NPHI), to place an order of 5,000 masks. We purchased additional sanitization equipment for use in our clinical facilities and headquarters, as well as 2,500 bottles of hand sanitizer for the safety of our patients, families, clinical and medical staff. This flexibility to respond to urgent clinical supply needs is made possible by the generosity of our community. Thank you!
Telehealth enables our clinical and medical professionals to communicate virtually and in real time with patients and families, immediately addressing their concerns and dealing with medical situations as they occur. Hospice of the Piedmont’s chaplains, social workers, counselors and volunteers use telehealth to virtually visit and counsel our patients and families, providing spiritual and emotional support and relief from fear, anxiety and social isolation.
Dr. Cameron Muir, Hospice of the Piedmont’s Chief Medical Officer, believes that the silver lining of this situation is that we have an opportunity to go from “crisis to catalyst”, using innovative 21st century technology that allows greater capacity so that more patients can be seen over a shorter period of time. In addition, it helps us to be responsible and mindful of our limited supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) which is essential to keep our staff safe.
As we transition our operations to adapt to a rapidly changing crisis, we welcome much needed financial contributions. All donations are 100% tax deductible. We will gladly provide a tax receipt on request.
We thank all of our friends and benefactors who have stepped forward to help in so many ways, from gifts in kind to generous financial support. Now, more than ever before, we thank you for helping us to help our community. At this challenging time, Hospice of the Piedmont is here for you and we are grateful for the opportunity to serve this special community that means so much to all of us.
