Our Mission: To care for anyone experiencing the impact 
of a life-threatening illness or grieving the death of a loved one.
It was our honor to recognize some amazing people and an organization earlier this month at our 2016 Heroes of Hospice event.
This marked our fourth annual luncheon recognizing some truly special people who regularly go above and beyond and play vital roles in our mission to
provide care for anyone experiencing the impact of serious illness or grieving the death of a loved one.  
 
I encourage you to read about this year's Heroes of Hospice recipients, who were recognized during our Sept. 7 ceremony at The Fess Parker in three categories: Partnership, Legacy and Volunteer.  It was a pleasure to see and meet many of you at this special event to thank these extraordinary individuals, as well as to hear from some inspiring clients who have overcome truly challenging periods in their lives.

Be well,
David Selberg, CEO

Heroes of Hospice Volunteer Award:
Muriel Ross, Joe Jowell, Ann Smithcors


This year's Volunteer Award goes to three inspirational and highly dedicated individuals. All three of these humanitarians have devoted countless hours to bettering our community through caring for and supporting those in need.
 
Originally from Canada, Muriel Ross studied Registered Nursing, eventually earning a post-graduate degree in Psychiatry and working at a hospital in Montreal, Quebec, Canada for the majority of her career. Since relocating to Santa Barbara, she has volunteered at HSB for 37 years. Muriel can't imagine anything else she'd rather do as she truly enjoys caring for her patients by taking them to run errands and have fun.
 
After having experienced the death of his wife, Joe Jowell began volunteering at Hospice of Santa Barbara. 35 years later, Joe continues to see HSB as a way to open the door for the taboo subject of death and grieving and works to encourage seriously ill people to seek assistance and not shy away from others due to their condition.
 
After retiring from her nursing career in the early 1980s, Ann Smithcors started volunteering at HSB, as it allowed her to do something she had always wanted: to spend time with patients and their families. Having now volunteered at Hospice of Santa Barbara for 34 years, Ann said she continues to take great pride in knowing she's helping people and hopefully making their final days easier and more comfortable.  

 

Heroes of Hospice Legacy Award:
Dana VanderMey
Over her 17 years at Hospice of Santa Barbara, Dana VanderMey played a vital role in establishing our case management services that have now developed into Hospice of Santa Barbara's Patient Care Services program, trained more than 400 volunteers and cared for patients and families experiencing serious illness.
  
Dana's father Malcolm Peattie, the HSB Board of Directors President in the early '80s, introduced her to the organization and told her about an open position. As HSB's RN Case Manager, Dana provided vital care to seriously ill patients and their families. It's here she learned about the important role families play in a patient's support system and cherished being invited into these familial bonds.
 
Dana worked at Hospice of Santa Barbara until 1989, only to return in 2001 as the Director of Volunteers. She used her experience as a nurse to train hundreds of volunteers over the years. Today, the Patient Care Services program has multiple divisions and is a key to delivering clients with the care they need.
 
Dana retired from Hospice of Santa Barbara in 2013 and is currently working on her life book, "No, But Thanks for Asking."
 
Support Groups
Parenting After Loss
Wednesdays Sept.21 - Nov. 16

Healing the Loss of an Adult Child
Tuesday Afternoons 
 
Survivors of Suicide
1st and 3rd Thursday evenings of the month
 
Widow/Widowers Support Group 
2nd, 4th Monday (evening)
1st, 3rd Thursday (Daytime)

Healing the Loss of a Loved One
Tuesday Evenings (2nd and 4th)
Thank you for all that you do to support our work!

It is a remarkable privilege to witness the difference we make for those we serve on a daily basis. It is only through your generosity that we can accomplish all that we do and will do in the future.

Fall 2016 Volunteer Training
Interested in providing emotional, social and practical support to people with life-threatening illnesses and their families? Volunteer with the Hospice of Santa Barbara.
The next volunteer training series will be held over six consecutive Wednesdays starting September 28.

 
Latest Hospice News
91-year-old in hospice care gets 'overwhelming' support for knitting hats for the homeless
- Fox 17

Understanding the difference Hospice care vs palliative care vs home health care 
 
Hospice interpreters use language and culture to comfort patients 
PBS
Contact Us
Hospice of Santa Barbara
2050 Alameda Padre Serra
Ste. 100
Santa Barbara, CA 93103

Phone: (805) 563-8820
Fax: (805) 563-8821

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Heroes of Hospice Partnership Award:
Doctors Assisting at Home
 
Offering on-call, rapid response medical care throughout Santa Barbara and Goleta, DASH (Doctors Assisting Seniors at Home) has cut the number of costly emergency room visits and hospitalizations for its nearly 2,000 clients by more than 30 percent.
 
DASH's team of nurses and physicians is available Monday through Saturday to respond to the homes of seniors from Santa Barbara to Goleta, usually arriving within hours. These seniors are often too ill to wait for an office visit or appointment or too weak to get there. DASH team members will also communicate closely with a client's primary care providers.
 
DASH is offered for a modest monthly fee, or free-of-charge for seniors living in low-income housing or receiving Medi-Cal or Section 8 housing assistance, putting it within reach of the most vulnerable residents. 
 

Mentor Training for "I Have a Friend®" Program
We're in search of some great volunteers to make a difference in a child's life by joining the "I Have A Friend ®" Mentor Program, created in 2002 by late Hospice of Santa Barbara Executive Director Gail Rink. Mentor volunteers are adults who experienced the death of a parent or sibling as a child and are trained and matched with children who have recently experienced a similar loss. Mentors help a child to heal, thrive and feel "normal" again.
Training takes place over two consecutive Saturdays.
 
For more information and a mentor application, please visit hospiceofsb.org
 
or contact Nicole Romasanta, Director of Volunteer Services, at (805) 563-8820.
 
Date : Saturday, January 14 and 21, 2017  
Time: 9 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Location: Hospice of Santa Barbara, 2050 Alameda Padre Serra, Suite #100, Santa Barbara 93103