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For Immediate Release: June 17, 2008

Community Hospice Flags for Veterans Program

Jacksonville, Fla. - On Saturday, June 14, 2008, Rolling Thunder® Chapter #4 Jacksonville–St. Augustine, provided Community Hospice of Northeast Florida® with flags, representing each branch of the armed forces, for use at each of the four Community Hospice inpatient care centers.

Upon admission to any of the four Community Hospice inpatient care centers, patients who acknowledge that they are veterans will be offered the opportunity to have a flag, representing the branch of the United States military in which they served, displayed outside their room for the duration of their stay.

The gift to establish Community Hospice’s Flags for Veterans Program was announced during a public ceremony at the Earl B. Hadlow Center for Caring of Community Hospice in Mandarin. Following the ceremony, the Rolling Thunder members traveled on their motorcycles to present flags to Community Hospice staff at the Dr. Gaston J. Acosta-Rua Center for Caring of Community Hospice on Jacksonville’s Westside, the George and Margaret Morris Center for Caring of Community Hospice located on the 6th floor of the Shands Jacksonville Pavillion, and the Anne and Donald McGraw Center for Caring of Community Hospice, located on the Mayo Clinic campus.

“We are honored to be able to provide this special recognition to our veteran patients,” said Susan Ponder-Stansel, president and CEO of Community Hospice. “It is one way to express our gratitude and appreciation to Northeast Florida veterans for the service that they provided to our country. We are very grateful to Rolling Thunder for raising the funds to purchase these flags.”

Rolling Thunder is a nonprofit organization whose members advocate for U.S. troops, veterans and POW/MIAs.

Jasmine Yordan, president of the Rolling Thunder Chapter #4 Jacksonville–St. Augustine, said, “It is our goal to continue to raise awareness of the contributions made by America’s veterans. We are very proud to partner with Community Hospice to recognize and honor the men and women who have served our country.”

The experience of military service, particularly during traumatic combat assignments, can affect veterans physically, socially and emotionally throughout their lives, and will often impact the dying experience, as well. In 2007, Community Hospice provided care to nearly 1,200 veterans. More than 500 of those veterans received care at one of Community Hospice’s four inpatient care centers.

Community Hospice care is typically provided in one’s home, a long term care or assisted living facility, where hospice staff assists family members and loved ones in caregiving tasks. However, there are cases when patients cannot receive the care they need in these settings. In those situations, Community Hospice inpatient care may be appropriate. Community Hospice inpatient care is intended as a short-term solution to help manage pain or symptoms. The goal of this care is, whenever possible, to return patients to the place in which they reside.

To help meet the end-of-life care needs of the more than 200,000 – 250,000 veterans living in Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties, Community Hospice of Northeast Florida formed the Community Hospice Veterans Partnership (CHVP) in November 2007.

To learn more about CHVP or the Flags for Veterans Program, please contact Toula Wootan, director of community relations at 904.407.6211.

Established in 1979 as the first hospice program in Northeast Florida, Community Hospice of Northeast Florida® helps nearly 1,000 patients live better with advanced illness each day in Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties, through the support of more than 700 employees and nearly 900 volunteers. The nonprofit organization has served more than 48,000 children and adults—at home, in long term care facilities, hospitals and through four inpatient centers throughout Jacksonville. Community Hospice Foundation™ generates philanthropic and community support for patient care services, family needs and community programs such as Community PedsCare®, a pediatric palliative and hospice program, and the programs and services through the Charles M. Neviaser Educational Institute. Care is available to all patients who need it, regardless of their ability to pay.

 Community Hospice and Community PedsCare are registered trademarks and Community Hospice Foundation is a trademark of Community Hospice of Northeast Florida, Inc.

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Contact:

Lynn Robbins

Director of Communications

Community Hospice of Northeast Florida

904.407.6380

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