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‘Dine out for Hospice’ a success
By Susan Stout, For the Record-Bee
POSTED: 12/26/17
In this season of giving and thanksgiving, Lake County residents helped to make “Dine Out for Hospice” a successful fundraiser and “friend-raiser,” according to Corrigan Gommenginger, ACHE, chief executive officer of Hospice Services of Lake County.
“It is anticipated the total funds raised will be about $8,500,” said Gommenginger. The amount reflects sponsorships, a percentage of sales from each of the seven participating restaurants, and donations from individual diners. “We are extremely grateful for the participation by the chefs and owners helping us to raise funds for Hospice Services.”
Participating eateries included the Blue Wing Saloon in Upper Lake, Giovanni’s Skyroom at Lampson Airport, Howard’s Grotto in Clearlake, Main Street Bar & Grill in Clearlake, Park Place and Renee’s Cafe, both in Lakeport, and the Saw Shop Bistro in Kelseyville.
Representatives from Hospice Services of Lake County were present at each of the restaurants to greet and thank community members for their support. The representatives included staff and agency board members who reported “a warm and friendly atmosphere” at each of the dining facilities.
Many groups of diners, including friends or acquaintances that happened to encounter each other, engaged in conversations that included past or current experiences with hospice, Hospice representatives reported. Diners mentioned their desire to support Hospice by attending the event.
“I was so impressed with the generosity of Renee’s Cafe that I wanted to be there in person to show my gratitude and support,” said President Diane Pege, MD, MMM, FACP, director of Medical Affairs, Sutter Lakeside Hospital, Lakeport. “Little did I expect the overwhelming turnout on what would usually be a slow night for the restaurant. All but two of the customers who came to dine that night came to support Hospice. Most expressed their pleasure at being able to assist our agency in this way. I am honored to have such generous partners like the owners of Renee’s in our community.”
Vice President David Neft, Lake County’s “Piano Man,” not only attended the event at the Blue Wing restaurant but donated his time to play the piano for the supportive diners. He described the experience as a “warm fuzzy” event, “a very successful evening.”
“I very much look forward to this being an annual event helping fund the critical, wonderful work of Hospice Services of Lake County,” Neft added.
Funds will help the agency to provide quality medical, emotional and spiritual services to hundreds of Lake County residents, according to Gommenginger.
National Hospice and Palliative Care month observed
Corrigan Gommenginger, ACHE
Chief Executive Officer, Hospice Services of Lake County
November is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month, and it also marks the anniversary of our own organization, Hospice Services of Lake County, formed in 1979 by a group of concerned volunteers.
Hospice Services of Lake County will mark the month with a series of articles to help bring about awareness of end-of-life issues. In addition, the organization’s annual “Light Up a Life” gatherings are scheduled for Nov. 9 in Lakeport and Nov. 16 in Middletown. We hope you’ll join us for these candle-lighting ceremonies of remembrance.
Physician Dame Cicely Saunders first used the term “hospice” to describe specialized care for dying patients. Saunders, who began her work with the terminally ill in 1948, created the first modern hospice facility, St. Christopher’s Hospice, in a suburb of London. In 1963 she introduced the idea to the United States with a visit and lecture at Yale University.
Hospice Services of Lake County started as a small organization assisting only a few patients in 1980. In 2016, our team of trained staff provided hospice care to 311 patients. 84 of those patients were veterans. This year, to date, we have provided care to 262 patients. In the past 12 months, 201 individuals including adults and children have received grief counseling in response to the loss of a family member or loved one. Trained volunteers providing patient care, bereavement services and serving as community ambassadors are an integral part of our organization. Our volunteers numbered 134 and provided 8,634 hours of service in support of our mission in 2016.
The core of hospice service is to provide patient-and family-centered care ensuring the highest quality of life at the end-of-life wherever they call home. Our specially-trained staff ensure that families receive the necessary support to allow that to happen. Services include nursing care, symptom management, and emotional and spiritual support tailored to a patient’s needs and wishes.
No patients are turned away if they do not have the means to pay for Hospice care. Services are paid for by Medicare, Medi-Cal, the Veteran’s Administration, private health insurance, personal payments, and financial support from our community through individual and corporate donations.
Hospice Services of Lake County encourages you to know your options for care and to share your wishes with family, loved ones and your professional healthcare providers. We have many services to assist you.
We encourage you to see how our compassionate team can assist you and your loved ones. We are happy to talk with you about the services that we provide and how we can help. Call us at (707) 263-6222, or visit us at 1862 Parallel Drive, Lakeport.
Additional information is also available on our website, http://www.lakecountyhospice.org.
By Corrigan Gommenginger is Chief Executive Officer, Hospice Services of Lake County
Hospice CEO earns advanced certification
By Janine Smith-Citron, For the Record-Bee
POSTED: 09/06/17
LAKEPORT >> Corrigan Gommenginger, chief executive officer of Hospice Services of Lake County, recently obtained his Advanced Certified Hospice Executive (ACHE) designation from the National Board for Home Care & Hospice Certification (NBHHC).
The ACHE designation ensures that Gommenginger “has attained a gold level knowledge of standards” by passing the NBHHC exam. The national board’s test requires that the candidate possess an advanced degree and have three years of experience as a senior executive in Hospice. According the NBHHC, only 75 percent of registrants pass the Advanced Certified Hospice Executive exam.
The extensive exam, which took Gommenginger three hours to complete, covers leadership, governance, strategic planning, organizational design, financial oversight, resource management, organizational risk, and industry trends.
“The certification is not just an accomplishment for me,” said Gommenginger. “It requires that I continue to stay current on changes in the industry that affect our organization and the patients we care for. For Hospice Services of Lake County, it is an assurance that we hire and employ the right people for the jobs.”
Gommenginger previously held the Certified Hospice Administrator designation by NBHHC, in addition to his other certifications: Certified Fund Raising Executive and Certified Executive and Leadership Development Coach.
The NBHHC notes that individuals who pass the advanced certification exam demonstrate their abilities to benefit their agencies. Such benefits include identifying trends in health care, understanding ways to improve the agency’s operational performance, and identifying new practices to integrate quality improvement, financial, operational, compliance and customer service goals.
Hospice Services staff congratulates Gommenginger on his certification.
Hospice Services of Lake County provides patient- and family-centered care ensuring the highest quality of life at the end of life. Specially-trained staff provide services include nursing care, symptom management, and emotional and spiritual support tailored to a patient’s needs and wishes. No patients are turned away if they do not have the means to pay for Hospice care. For information about Hospice Services of Lake County, call (707) 263-6222. Additional information is also available on the organization’s website, http://www.lakecountyhospice.org.
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