30 years of experience:
We are the oldest established hospice agency in Oregon with a long tradition of going "above and beyond". Mt. Hood Hospice began life in 1980 as a small group of volunteers offering compassionate care for people with terminal illnesses. In 1983 we became the first hospice in Oregon to have Oregon Hospice Association certification and in 1987 the first hospice in Oregon to be certified by Medicare under the new regulations governing hospice as a Medicare benefit. The years since 1987 have seen a spectacular increase in the number of hospices in our area and across the nation and an increase in regulations governing how hospices operate. Mt. Hood Hospice has continued to meet and exceed these regulations while maintaining the ideals of compassionate, patient-directed care that motivated us 3o years ago.
Not-for-profit:
The years since 1987 have seen an enormous growth in the number Medicare certified hospices across the nation. Many of these newer hospices are for-profit corporations. While we all operate under the same set of regulations the scope and quality of services provided by each agency can differ widely. We at Mt. Hood Hospice are motivated by one thing: the desire to provide quality, compassionate care to people with terminal illnesses and their families. At Mt. Hood Hospice, our bottom line is you.
Free-Standing, Community-based
Because we operate as a free-standing agency not under the umbrella of any hospital or other corporate organization, we are able to respond to special needs with speed and efficiency impossible for an agency with layers of bureaucracy to contend with. If you need it and we can get it for you, its yours. Its that simple.
Low patient/nurse ratio
Our priority is quality of care, not patient census. We care for 20-50 families at any time compared to the census of 200-300 of some of the other hospices in our area. Each nurse cares for only 4-10 families at a time allowing fast response, continuity of care and unlimited nursing visits. The nurse will visit as often as necessary. While being good stewards of Medicare funds is an important value for us we have no motivation to cut corners or to save money by cutting down on staff visits. We are here for you, not for any other reason.
Dedicated on-call staff
Our staff includes dedicated on-call nurses and on-call backup nurses. Our on-call nurse/patient ratio is about 2 nurses for every 40 patients. If you are considering another hospice this is a good question to ask.Fast response time
Our goal is to be able get to you within 60 minutes of your call. We live here too - we are all members of the same community. We are your neighbors.
That extra mile
All hospices are staffed by caring, competent individuals. So what is that ineffable quality that truly sets us apart? Here are a few examples of our commitment to going that extra mile:
- Providing funds and transportation for out of town relatives to make final visits to their loved ones
- Sending a caregiver and her family to the beach for a much-needed weekend getaway
- Providing an afternoon at the spa for an exhausted spouse
- Providing funds and transportation for a patient's beloved cat to have her nails filed so she can cuddle with her owner without tearing her skin
- Providing dog food for a companion dog whose family is at the end of their financial rope in the last weeks of a family member's life