Joy Query

“Why Not”: The Story of How Hospice of the Red River Valley Formed

In the quaint village of Quinton, a suburb of Birmingham, England, Joy Query grew up as one of three children in a socially conscious, well-educated family. The focus on health and welfare of their fellow countrymen was an important family value passed down from generation to generation, beginning with Joy’s grandfather who was a physician and many other family...

Vickie Haverkamp

Hospice Chaplains Help Bring Comfort and Peace to Patients at the End of Life

Spiritual care can be vital to the well-being of a person. Such care is often where we find our purpose, direction in life, values, self-worth and morals. As part of the hospice interdisciplinary team, Hospice of the Red River Valley’s chaplains promote caring for the whole person by providing spiritual comfort at the end of life, if desired by...

Connie DeKrey

Hospice Grief Specialists: Helping Clients Navigate Grief and Loss

Coping with the loss of a close friend or family member may be one of the most difficult situations many of us endure. When we face a significant loss, such as a spouse, sibling or parent, our grief can be particularly intense. Each relationship is as unique and individual as the grief reactions that follow the loss; none of...

Chelsey Fey

A Calling to Care: Celebrating National Nurses Week

It is National Nurses Week, May 6-12, a time to celebrate the professional contributions of nurses in delivering the highest level of care to patients. Hospice nurses take on a critical role in caring for terminally ill patients and their families. Comfort is a hospice nurse’s primary focus and advocating for patients is always their number one priority. Hospice of...

Louise Dahl

Celebrating the Important Role Hospice Social Workers Play in Patient Care

March is National Social Work Month, a time to celebrate the professional contributions of social workers. The role of a hospice social worker varies from patient to patient and is focused around addressing the needs and wishes of each patient and their family or caregiver. Social workers understand the emotional aspects of late-stage illnesses. They help families identify available...

Miranda Heintzman

A Heart for Hospice: One Hospice Employee Shares Her Calling to Care

For Hospice of the Red River Valley employee Miranda Heintzman, this line of work is more than a job, it’s her calling. It speaks to the core of who she is as a person—kind, patient and, most of all, compassionate. “When I was a certified nursing assistant (CNA), I knew every day when I got up that someone needed...

Kelly Haneca

Caring Hands and Open Hearts: Celebrating the Important Role Hospice Nurses Play in Patient Care

It is National Nurses Week, a time to celebrate the professional contributions of nurses in delivering the highest level of quality care to patients, as recognized by the American Nurses Association. The celebration starts May 6 and closes on May 12, which is Florence Nightingale’s birthday, the founder of modern nursing. Nurses play an important role in society, and Hospice...

Pursuing Our Vision of Hospice

Personal experience was the driving force that prompted Dr. Campbell, a physician in Sanford’s Family Practice Department, to become an enthusiastic board member and medical director during Hospice of the …