June 21, 2022
"Over the past three years, I have seen the incredible staff and volunteers at Foothills Country Hospice in action, providing the very best end-of-life care to patients and their families,” says Greg Powell, Interim Chair of the Board at the June 21 Annual General Meeting. "On behalf of the Board and senior management, I extend our appreciation to everyone who worked so hard through some very difficult times."
"I am excited about the work ahead, in particular increasing our ability to meet the ever-mounting needs for specialized, quality hospice care in the community. In recent months, Alberta Health Services (AHS) has acknowledged the need for increased capacity in the province. We, as the Board and executive, are actively participating in a process that will see FCH expand programs and services to help meet that need. We are taking the appropriate steps with AHS and others to secure operational funding; we are working with architects to develop plans for facility expansion from the current eight to 16 beds; and we are working with a fund development consultant to develop a capital campaign to secure the needed funds for the physical expansion.
"We have also received indications of support from many donors, and while much remains in the air, the future looks positive. I am honoured to be in a position to provide strong leadership as we move forward."
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Dr. Greg Powell has an exemplary and notable career of leadership and innovation that spans 40 years in the fields of emergency and aviation medicine, education and research.
He is a Professor Emeritus, Emergency and Family Medicine, University of Calgary and is a founder of STARS (Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service) and the STARS Foundation.
In 2006, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada, in recognition of his contribution to the community and Canada. He was recently appointed to the Patient and Family Advisory Committee of the Health Quality Council of Alberta.
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A few highlights from the AGM:
- Many thanks to the entire Hospice team for all their hard work: preparing for accreditation, assisting the expansion committee and getting our organization through COVID
- We cared for 105 patients during the 2021-22 Fiscal Year
- 32 individuals received grief counselling through the Hospice
- volunteers contributed 6,168 hours of time and talent
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2022/2023 Board of Directors
- Dr. Greg Powell, Interim Chair
- Allison Bichel
- David DeMedeiros
- Mary Dougherty
- Sean Foley
- Dorothy Martin
- Kimberley McNabb
- Catherine Neily
- Brad Smith
- Mathew Vyse
- Sjoert Zuidhof
Many thanks for the time and commitment of retiring Board members:
- Tiffany Gordon
- Karen Nielsen
- Adam Stepa
- David West
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"Making Your Experience
the Very Best it Can Be"
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Julie and John Lamb on their
wedding day, September 1975
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Renewing their wedding vows
on their 37th Anniversary
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“John was a picture of health as little as eight weeks prior to his cancer diagnosis,” says Julie Lamb, John's wife of almost 45 years. “We moved from the acreage into town, purchased a travel trailer and made plans for the next stage of our life. Within six months John was gone, and I was alone.
“When I shared feelings of guilt and confusion with Allison, our Foothills Country Hospice social worker, she said to me, ‘You did nothing wrong. You planned for your future … John’s body just wasn’t along for the ride.’”
Taking John to Foothills Country Hospice was not an easy choice. Julie wanted to care for him at home. “I am so glad for the decision,” she says. “John was in Hospice care for 16 days and nothing was ever too much for the staff and volunteers.”
Julie describes the relief she felt knowing that someone else was taking responsibility and providing professional care. At the same time, she was being taken care of as well. “From the cleaning staff who asked if I had shampoo, to the nurses and social worker who explained things we had no way of knowing about, everyone treated John, me and my family with such respect.”
Julie now attends grief counselling sessions at the Hospice. “There is something about being with your peers in a safe and respectful environment. These people, who have personally experienced that hole left in your life fill a need that even the best intentions from family and friends cannot."
Allison and Bonnie, Coordinator of Volunteer Services, usually have a theme planned, explains Julie, "but they are so sensitive to the group's needs. Participants are always given priority and often take over the agenda.”
Julie sums her experience with Foothills Country Hospice, “It’s like every individual you encounter has a vested interest in making your experience, as painful as it is, the very best it can be. I can’t thank them enough for everything they’ve done for me and my family.”
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Becoming Part of the Dream
“So many leaders in our community had a dream, and then committed the time and effort to make that dream a reality,” says David Gilbert, owner/manager of the Okotoks Sobeys. “They built the Foothills Country Hospice. And now my wife and business partner, JoAnn and I are in a position to contribute in our own way by providing food and refreshments for the patients.”
David and JoAnn were both born and raised in Okotoks and are now raising their family there. “My sister, parents and in-laws all live here,” he says. “We have a lot of life-long relationships in this town. We know some of the patients who have benefited from the Hospice, and many more are very likely customers. Food is one way we can help.”
David and JoAnn have made it as easy as possible for the staff and volunteers at the Hospice. They simply submit their online order and the groceries are delivered to the Hospice’s doorstep.
In addition to thousands of dollars of in-kind support over the past 14 years, David has also volunteered time on the Board, where he helped with the golf tournament and sat on the Finance Committee.
“I met so many wonderful people and learned so much,” he says of that time. “It’s a great organization with rural roots that is a leader in hospice care in Canada. It is an honour to be part of the legacy.”
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“It is very rewarding to see the delivery van heading up 32nd street. Everyone in the store has a real sense of pride in what we can provide. It feels like ‘the next generation doing our part.’”
- David and JoAnn Gilbert
Okotoks Sobeys
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A memorial donation to Foothills Country Hospice offers family and friends a thoughtful way to celebrate a life well-lived while contributing to our mission to offer a serene country setting where residents and their loved ones receive exemplary end-of-life and bereavement care.
Your generosity helps Hospice staff and volunteers focus on quality of life, going to extraordinary lengths to address physical, emotional and spiritual well-being as patients prepare for the completion of their life's journey.
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Foothills Country Hospice Values
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