In 1981 a small group of visionaries understood the value of providing end-of-life care to patients and their families, where and when they needed it. From that vision, we have responded to the needs of dying and grieving people by expanding into areas where we’ve been invited and staying where we are needed – serving more than 27,000 individuals and their families.
The values embraced by the early dreamers and believers—respect for the dignity of people, belief in the quality of life, a willingness to serve and a commitment to caring – have sustained the organization and provided direction for the future.
Timeline
1978
The first meeting of the board of directors of Hospice of the Red River Valley (HRRV) is held.
1981
The first patient is served.
1983
HRRV becomes the first hospice west of the Mississippi River to be Medicare certified.
1984
Services expand to all of Cass (N.D.) and Clay (Minnesota) counties.
1985
HRRV expands care to Traill County.
1993
HRRV and Lakes Area Hospice (Detroit Lakes, Minn.) merge. The service area expands to include Becker, Norman, Mahnomen and Ottertail counties.
1995
HRRV merges with Northland Community Hospice (Thief River Falls, Minn.). The service area expands to include Marshall, Pennington and Red Lake counties.
1996
The service area expands to include Ransom, Sargent, LaMoure and Dickey counties.
1998
HRRV opens an office in Valley City, N.D. Barnes County is added to the service area.
1999
The Thief River Falls office is sold to a medical group based in Fosston, Minn.
2000
HRRV begins a campaign to create an endowment fund for the future of the organization.
2002
The first $1 million of endowment fund is raised. The average daily census exceeds 100 patients. HRRV hires a full-time physician.
2003
The Fargo office moves into a new space in the West Acres Office Park building in south Fargo. Heirlooms, a high-end resale store that provide supports for HRRV, opens in south Fargo.
2004
The average daily census increases 61 percent. HRRV begins partnering with area palliative care programs.
2005
HRRV opens an office in Grand Forks, N.D. The service area now covers 29 counties in North Dakota and Minnesota. The census for 2005 year exceeds 1,000 patients. The Legacy Society, the planned giving arm of the organization, is formed.
2007
HRRV purchases its current office building and begins renovation on additional space. The average daily census reaches 300 patients.
2009
The service area expands to cover individuals living in Thief River Falls, Minn., and the surrounding communities.
2011
Heirlooms relocates to a larger retail space in south Fargo.
2016
Heirlooms is renamed Heirlooms Thrift & Gift.
2019
House Calls launches. House Calls is primary care services provided in the homes of people who have difficulty leaving their residences for clinic appointments.
HRRV opens an office location in Bismarck, N.D.
2020
The service area expands to include Devils Lake, N.D., and north to the Canadian border to serve a total of more than 40 counties in North Dakota and Minnesota.
2021
HRRV marks an incredible milestone: 40 years of providing comfort and care through life’s journey. Our founders and a host of volunteers first brought hospice services to our region with the belief that everyone, especially those who face end of life, deserves dignity and quality of life. They could see a better future for our community members, and they worked tirelessly to translate the idea of hospice into reality.
2022
HRRV broke ground on Heather’s House, the first free-standing hospice house in the state of North Dakota.
HRRV opens an office location in Fergus Falls, Minn.
