Access Recognizes Staff for Achievements

The annual Christmas party was held again at the Maddox restaurant in Brigham City, Utah. It was great to meet as a company and enjoy food and some laughs from all the skits. Many staff were recognized for their extraordinary accomplishments throughout the year. Below is a list of those people with their corresponding awards:


• Best Customer Service – Valerie Pascoe (Patient Care Coordinator in Pocatello, Idaho)
• Best Leader – Camie Tripp (Regional Director of Nursing Idaho/Wyoming)
• Most Professional – Ashley Sandoval (Area Manager in Ogden, Utah)
• Best Team Player – Kaydawn Hatch (Office Manager in Logan, Utah)
• Best Patient Care – Elaine Egbert (CNA in Logan, Utah)
• Most Compliant Nurse, Quality Assurance Award – Tina Shaw (RN Case Manager in Pocatello, Idaho)
• Happy Retirement Award – Jill Thorson (Office Manager in Logan, Utah and Preston, Idaho)

Thank you to the owners, Rob, Chad, and Cathy for the cash prizes and for such a great meal.

Patient Memorialized by Volunteer's Quilt

Emily is a volunteer for Access Hospice in Pocatello, Idaho. Currently she is volunteering as a Social Worker and working on her Social Work practicum at Idaho State University. When she started for Access, she had no idea how attached she would become to the patients she routinely visited. One patient in particular touched her heart. Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, Kelly Wolfe was an individual who loved his family and loved the outdoors (especially Yellowstone National Park). So when Emily met him and his family, she knew she wanted to help them through the grief process and memorialize Kelly's life. She decided that a quilt would be the perfect memorial. The quilt was hand stitched, and photos of Kelly's family and life are graphed into the fabric. She also traced Kelly and his families' hand prints and sowed them into the quilt as well. The Wolfe family were grateful for the gesture, and so is the staff at Access for having such wonderful volunteers.

Saluting Our Veterans

This Veteran's Day, Access Home Care and Hospice would like to say thank you to the many veterans who have given of themselves so that we can enjoy the freedoms of this country. Thank you to the Access patients, the Access staff, and to everyone for your military service.

It is an honor to care for our veteran's healthcare needs, especially those we have the privilege of caring for at the end of life. Please to here to see a video about the We Honor Veterans program.

Also, please scroll down the blog where you can see a few of the veterans we highlighted for Memorial Day.

Below is a video that has inspiring words from past US Presidents. Please feel free to share it with anyone who would like to see it.

On behalf of all the staff at Access, THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS OUR VETERANS!

Access Receives Best In Class Ranking

Over the course of the last twelve months, Pinnacle Quality Insight, a nationally recognized customer satisfaction firm, has interviewed Access Home Care and Hospice patients and their family members.

Patients and their families were asked to evaluate several aspects of their received services. From the results of these interviews, Pinnacle determined that Access Home Care and Hospice qualified as "Best In Class" for the following service areas:

• Licensed Nurse Services
• Professional Therapy Services
• Home Health Aid Services
• Pain Management
• Response to Problems
• Courtesy and Friendliness
• Recommend Agency to Others
• Safety/Education and Training
• Communication from Agency
• Overall Customer Satisfaction

The "Best In Class" rating was determined by comparing Access Home Care and Hospice in each service area to similar providers across the country. For more information on Pinnacle Quality Insight, go here.

Access patients are the beneficiaries of excellent nurses, nursing aides, social workers, chaplains, office staff, and volunteers. Thank you to everyone who does their best to meet the needs of all our patients.

WAY TO GO TEAM ACCESS!

Volunteer Paints a Portrait for Hospice Patient

After about a month of work, volunteer Devin Fawson finished his project for Access Hospice patient, Lou Daronche. Last week Devin presented his painting to Lou and his wife, Mary. The Daronche family was touched to have a young volunteer take time and utilize his talents to enhance the life of another.

Thanks to Devin and all of the Access volunteers who help enhance the lives of others who are getting closer to the end of life. Your time and talents are greatly appreciated!

Honoring Our Veterans This Memorial Day

For this Memorial Day, Access Home Care and Hospice would like to memorialize the many veterans that have served our country. Over the years we have had the privilege and honor of caring for many men and women who have sacrificed for the cause of freedom around the world. Whether it was in Iraq for Desert Storm or on the war torn beaches in Normandy during World War II, the patients of Access Home Care and Hospice have experienced extraordinary courage and valor both at home and abroad. As a demonstration of gratitude to those who have done so much to protect and defend our freedoms and liberties, Access would like to highlight some of the men and women we have previously or are currently caring for. Please join us this Memorial Day in saying THANK YOU to our nation's veterans.

Ernest "Coop" Cooper
Ernest Cooper lives in Grace, Idaho and served in the Army during WWII under General Bradley, then later under General Patton. He was part of a heavy artillery gunning crew that stormed Utah Beach one day after D-Day (June 6th, 1944). His crew was credited with taking down 12 enemy bombers. Although enlisting at only 16 years old (his parents signed a waiver), he participated in four key campaigns - Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, and Central Europe. His unit was also involved in the Battle of the Bulge and he also drew Military Police duties where he was assigned to guard German SS troops at a liberated concentration camp. He tells of an amazing story where he was caught alone in a field while a low flying German fighter plane came over the hill right in front of him. He made eye contact with the pilot and pulled up his rifle and shot into the cockpit. The plane kept flying until it eventually crashed and blew up a few miles away. He wasn't sure if it went down solely because of his shot, but he likes to think so! Ernest was honorably discharged in 1945 and later awarded various medals of honor, including the most prestigious accolade given to Native American soldiers.

Harry Klee

Harry Klee lives in Ogden, Utah and served as a Staff Sergeant in WWII. He was stationed in Northern Africa, Cicily, and participated in the battle of Anzio Beach in Italy. He ended the war in Berlin after being shot in the leg. While in France he tells of a story when his unit found and slaughtered a cow for fresh meat. What a soldier would do for fresh beef! He was later awarded the Purple Heart for being wounded in combat.

John and June Dudunake

John and June Dudunake of Inkom, Idaho both served in the Marine Core during WWII. June served as a Marine Corporal, stationed in New Jersey. She was parachute rigger and also rigged other safety equipment for pilots.


John served in the South Pacific, 1st Offensive Action, in the Solomon Islands. Charged with the duty of overtaking the"unmanned" island of Gavutu, John's battalion came under heavy Japanese fire as their boats approached the shore. His battalion received the nickname "The Battalion of the Damned," as they were outnumbered by the Japanese 4-1 (A book has been written on this battle, go here to see more). Over 80% of the entire battalion was killed and John was shot in the neck by an exploding Japanese bullet. He was counted as dead because of losing consciousness due to the loss of blood and was even put on a boat with other dead marines. He was later found to be alive and was sent to New Caledonia and New Zealand for treatment. Subsequently, John's mother was notified of his death and his family held a funeral service in his home town. John went back to the states and had more surgeries on his neck and surgeons eventually gave up on removing all the metal (he still has pieces in his neck today). He wanted to return to the South Pacific after his wounds healed but his Commanding Officer would not allow him and stationed John in New Jersey where he met his wife, June. John received many awards for valor and commitment to the US Marines - Purple Heart, Presidential Citation, Citation for 1st Offensive Action, 2 stars for oversea service, among many others.

To see great videos honoring our veterans, visit our last year blog by going here.

THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE WHO STAND AND FIGHT FOR FREEDOM

- The Access Home Care and Hospice Team

Celebrating Volunteer Awareness Month

April is Volunteer awareness month and Access Home Care and Hospice would like to thank all of our volunteers for the many hours you have given to help our hospice patients and their families.

Access tries to constructively utilize the talents of our volunteers. For example, we have volunteers that play instruments like the harp and piano as music therapy. Some volunteers enjoy baking bread for patients and families. In our Pocatello, Idaho office, we have several volunteers who are currently going to the Social Work program at Idaho State University. These students have chosen to gain crucial end-of-life psychosocial experience by volunteering their internships as Social Work students for Home Care and Hospice. They find that not only do they grow tremendously in their chosen field of study, but the patients and families benefit tremendously from their services. These talents not only help the people we serve, but come as great opportunities for the volunteers themselves to grow.

Although music and cooking talents are greatly appreciated, help in our local offices, or even reading to someone in their home, are ways volunteers can really make an impact. In fact, some of the most meaningful volunteer time comes from those willing to help their friends and neighbors and serve the community.

Wherever you live in Northern Utah, Eastern Idaho, or Western Wyoming, Access Hospice has opportunities for volunteers. To ensure that all volunteers feel comfortable working with the dying, Access Hospice requires all volunteers to complete an orientation and training session, as well as submit to a routine background check.

To all those who currently volunteer for Access Hospice, THANK YOU! And for those interested in volunteering, please contact your local office found on the sidebar of this blog.

"Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile."

- Albert Einstein