Hospice of Michigan Receives Grants from Bay City Foundations

Bay City, Michigan, May 8, 2014 – Hospice of Michigan has received grants from two Bay City foundations for its advanced illness management program, At Home Support™.

Michigan’s first – and largest – hospice has received a total of $6,500 from the Kantzler Foundation and the Russell H. and Maxine E. Smith Charitable Foundation for patients in the Great Lakes Bay Region who are enrolled in At Home Support. The first of its kind in Michigan, At Home Support provides comfort care to patients who are in the final 18-24 months of life.

At Home Support provides an interdisciplinary care team for patients and families struggling to cope with the affects of life-limiting illnesses, such as advanced cancer, ALS, congestive heart and related diseases. The care team provides for the medical, spiritual and social needs of patients and their families, helping to manage pain, coordinate medical care, provide education and assist with personal care and household chores.

At Home Support has a separate plan of care for caregivers, who can find themselves unprepared for the unique physical and mental challenges of a long-term illness. Caregivers are provided with the tools, training and support needed to care for their loved one properly.

“Hospice of Michigan is so appreciative of the financial support from the Kantzler and Smith foundations,” said Marcie Hillary, vice president of community relations. “Perhaps more importantly, though, we recognize that these gifts represent a vote of confidence from two leading Bay City foundations.

“There is a critical – and growing – need for this kind of care to allow those struggling with chronic illnesses to remain in their homes and with their families as long as possible. We are pleased to be able to provide At Home Support to patients in the Great Lakes Bay Region and look forward to expanding our work in this community.

Launched in 2001, At Home Support has a proven track record of reducing unnecessary emergency room visits and reducing both hospital admissions and readmissions. The program has demonstrated its ability to improve quality while reducing costs – as much as $3,400 per patient per month.

At Home Support now serves more than 400 at-risk patients in Michigan each day. Last year, Blue Care Network launched a pilot program in the Great Lakes Bay Region to provide At Home Support for up to 200 Medicare patients. Currently, 20 patients in the greater Bay City area have been enrolled in At Home Support.

Named for successful businessman Leopold J. Kantzler, the Kantzler Foundation provides gifts in support of non-profit education, civic and healthcare projects that benefit Bay City. The Kantzler Foundation concentrates on providing initial funding for projects that would enhance the economics, aesthetic, education, recreational and social climate to the Bar area.

The Smith Foundation was established in 1995 in the memory of Russell H. and Maxine E. Smith, life-long residents of Bay County who were active in business and the community. Their foundation was formed to support programs and projects that benefit the residents of Bay County.

About Hospice of Michigan
A nationally recognized leader in end-of-life care, Hospice of Michigan is the original – and largest – hospice in the state. The non-profit cares for more than 1,400 patients each day in 56 counties across Michigan, raising more than $4 million each year to cover the cost of care for the uninsured and underinsured. HOM offers a broad range of services to enhance the quality of life at the end of life, including At Home Support™, our advanced illness management program, community-based palliative care and pediatric care programs. HOM provides grief support and counseling, caregiver education and support, and education programs for physicians and healthcare professionals through its research, training and education arm, the Hospice of Michigan Institute. For more information, call 888.247.5701 or visit www.hom.org.

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