Month: April 2012

Valley City State University Pre-Professional Club Raises $500 for Hospice of the Red River Valley

April 26, 2012

The Valley City State University Pre-Professional Club donated $500 to Hospice of the Red River Valley, generated from proceeds of the Community Soup and Sandwich Feed held in Valley City on March 28. Through the generosity of local donors, their contribution will be matched for a total gift of $1,000. The students also earned nearly $1,000 for the club.

The Club will use the earnings to obtain study materials, attend meetings and provide support for educational and volunteer activities. The donation to Hospice will be used to provide compassionate end-of-life care to those in Valley City and surrounding communities.

“I am amazed and so appreciative of the support from these students,” said Deb Gemar, development officer with Hospice of the Red River Valley. “They’ve shown a real eagerness to gift back to their community. They should be very proud of themselves.”

About the Pre-Professional Club The Pre-Professional Club at Valley City State University is for students interested in careers in the medical field, graduate school and law. The club helps students with the application process, provides volunteer opportunities, job shadowing and job observations hours, study sessions and mock admission tests, and anything else related to the admission process of professional programs.

About Hospice of the Red River Valley Hospice of the Red River Valley is an independent, not-for-profit hospice serving all or portions of 29 counties in North Dakota and Minnesota. Hospice care is intensive comfort care that alleviates pain and suffering, enhancing quality of life for terminally ill patients and families by addressing their medical, emotional, spiritual and grief needs. For more information, call toll free 800-237-4629, e-mail questions@hrrv.org or visit www.hrrv.org.

Five Hospice of the Red River Valley Employees Complete National Hospice Certification Exam

April 25, 2012

Five Hospice of the Red River Valley employees have successfully completed National Hospice Certification Exams.

Chad Helwig, CNA, of Hillsboro, N.D., and Marlette Butterworthsmith, CNA, of Detroit Lakes, Minn., completed the Palliative Nursing Assistant Certification.

Jenna Miosek, RN, and Diane Nygren, RN, both of Fargo, N.D., and Cristie Mitzel, RN, of East Grand Forks, Minn., completed the Hospice and Palliative Nurse Certification.

The purpose of certification is to promote delivery of comprehensive palliative nursing care through the certification of qualified hospice and palliative professionals. Certification in hospice and palliative care is highly valued and provides formal recognition of hospice and palliative nursing or administration knowledge.

Research Paper Turned Fundraising Effort Results in $2,650 Gift to Hospice

April 12, 2012

What started as a college research paper blossomed into a full-scale fundraising and awareness effort. On Tuesday, April 10, Kayla Smith and Rossman Elementary School student council members presented the gift of $2,650 to Joy Crouch, development officer with Hospice of the Red River Valley.

Their choice of supporting Hospice is deeply personal. Kayla’s mother, Gaylene, suffered from colon cancer and was cared for by Hospice of the Red River Valley.

“Last year, I had to write a research paper about how I would raise awareness about an issue. I chose colon cancer, because my mother suffered from it,” Smith shared. “At first, I was just writing the paper for a grade, then, I decided to put the plan into action.” Kayla sold ribbons, bracelets and t-shirts at M-State in Moorhead, Minnesota State University Moorhead and North Dakota State University. She didn’t stop there.

“One of my cousins attends Rossman Elementary in Detroit Lakes. We thought, why don’t we have a dilly bar sale?” Smith said. The Rossman Elementary School student council members took on the dilly bar sale as part of their Caring Project. The Frazee High School and Elementary schools had similar sales. Their hard work resulted in a substantial gift to Hospice.

“I am amazed and so appreciative of the support from Kayla and the students,” said Crouch. They’ve shown a real eagerness to gift back to their communities. Kayla and the students should be very proud of themselves.”

The donation will be used to provide compassionate end-of-life care to those in Detroit Lakes and surrounding communities. To learn more about making a deliberate gift to Hospice, and the opportunity to have your investment doubled through a grant from the Otto Bremer Foundation, call (800) 237-4629 and ask to speak with Joy Crouch.

Hospice of the Red River Valley Announces Spring Confidence in Care Webinar Series

April 5, 2012

Hospice of the Red River Valley is offering a Confidence in Care spring webinar series on end-of-life topics. Registration is required for each webinar.

Memory Loss and End-of-Life Care will be held from 7-8 p.m. on Monday, May 7. Gretchen Dobervich, LSW, with the Alzheimer’s Association of MN/ND, and Tricia Langlois, MD, with Hospice of the Red River Valley, will discuss the differences between Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, the unique challenges of caregiving and the benefits of hospice care for those individuals in the advanced stages.

Advanced Health Care Planning will be held from 7-8 p.m. on Monday, May 14. Susan Johnson-Drenth, JD, with JD Legal Planning, will review the precautions and actions needed to ensure your health care wishes are carried out if you are unable to speak for yourself.

The Medicare Hospice Benefit will be held from 7-8 p.m. on Monday, May 21. Mary Lou Dahms, with Hospice of the Red River Valley, will share the full range of end-of-life services you are entitled to through Medicare, and explain how to access these services.

If you do not have access to an Internet connection, the webinars will be broadcast in Hospice’s Fargo office, located at 1701 38th St. S., at the dates and times listed above. If you would like to attend a broadcast of a webinar at the Fargo office, please RSVP to Bonnie at (701) 356-1524 or bonnie.oelschlager@hrrv.org one week prior to the webinar.

The Detroit Lakes Eagles Club Donates $2,500 to Hospice of the Red River Valley

April 2, 2012

The Detroit Lakes Eagles Aerie 2342 Past-Presidents Club donated $2,500 to Hospice of the Red River Valley. Ron Wenberg, CEO, and Jerry Wagendorf, gaming manager, presented the gift to Joy Crouch, development officer with Hospice of the Red River Valley.

The gift will have a significant impact on hospice care in the area. “The Eagles Club has demonstrated a deep commitment to ensuring hospice care continues long into the future,” Crouch said. The donation will be used to provide compassionate end-of-life care to those in Detroit Lakes and surrounding communities.

To learn more about making a deliberate gift to Hospice, and the opportunity to have your investment doubled through a grant from the Otto Bremer Foundation, call (800) 237-4629 and ask to speak with a development officer.