Hospice house ground-breaking ceremony set

The community dream of additional end-of-life care services for residents of Highlands, Hardee and Polk counties will be one step closer when Good Shepherd Hospice holds a ground-breaking ceremony for its new Highlands County Hospice House on Jan. 7 at 10:30 a.m. in Sebring.

In addition, Good Shepherd Hospice will make a major fundraising announcement at the event.

The ceremony will be held at 1110 Hammock Road, the site of the future facility. The event is open to the public and refreshments will be served.

"Good Shepherd Hospice staff, volunteers and supporters are thrilled to start the New Year with the Hospice House groundbreaking," said Becky McIntyre, Good Shepherd Hospice regional director. "The Highlands County Hospice House will be a tangible example of Good Shepherd Hospice's mission to provide outstanding hospice and palliative care in our communities."

In August 2008, the state approved Good Shepherd Hospice's certificate of need application to build the hospice house.

Since then, the organization has completed the purchase of the property, selected Stevens Construction as its contractor, gained city and county approval and finalized architectural plans for the hospice house.

Good Shepherd anticipates that construction will take approximately one year.

Funding will come from financing of the project and community donations.

"The need for a stand-alone Hospice House in Highlands County is so great we couldn't wait," said McIntyre. "Good Shepherd Hospice knows that we have a great deal of support for this project. The finished Hospice House will be a testament to the community's dedication, and we are grateful for their help in every step of the process."

When it opens, the hospice house will be an acute care, inpatient facility that is specifically designed to address the requirements and requests of patients facing the end of life.

Healthcare professionals will provide pain management, symptom control and medical procedures in a safe, home-like setting where families and friends are encouraged to visit.

According to Sebring attorney Jim McCollum, a longtime Good Shepherd Hospice supporter, people might be unfamiliar with the concept of a hospice house but truly come to appreciate its value when a loved one is facing a life-limiting illness.

"Currently, if patients require this type of care, they must travel nearly 50 miles to access the nearest Hospice House, the Good Shepherd Hospice George C. Forsythe Hospice House in Auburndale," said McCollum.