Hospice Foundation Names New President and CEO

Siobhan Greene

Hospice Foundation announces the appointment of Siobhan Greene as its new president and chief executive officer, succeeding Alice Kinsler who last summer announced her plans to retire at the end of June, 2013.

Greene, who has served as executive director of Voices for Children - CASA of Monterey County since 2005, will begin her new post with the Foundation on August 5.
 
“After a nationwide search, we are thrilled to find someone of Siobhan’s caliber locally to lead Hospice Foundation into the future,” said Ralph Thompson, III, chair of the Hospice Foundation board of directors.

“She brings many years of experience in nonprofit executive management, fundraising, board governance, financial and analytical acumen to her new position,” said Thompson. “The board and staff could not be more thrilled with her selection.”

"I am very honored to be chosen for this position and look forward to working with such a fine board and staff," said Greene.  "The work of Hospice Foundation is critical to supporting dignified and compassionate end-of-life care and ensuring services are available throughout our community."

Greene has a long history as an advocate for children’s issues and involvement in the community.  She joined CASA in 2002 as director of development, becoming executive director three years later.  Prior to that she was director of marketing for Four Sisters Inn in Monterey, and has served in other administrative and management capacities locally and in the Bay Area.

Under Greene’s leadership, Voices for Children - CASA has grown dramatically in both its service to children and its role to help improve the foster care system. The organization has quadrupled in size, serves hundreds of children a year, has been recognized with numerous awards, and successfully launched San Benito County CASA, which effective July 1, will be an independent entity.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in therapeutic recreation from St. Joseph’s College, in Brentwood, New York. Greene serves on and is the immediate past chair of the Juvenile Justice Commission for Monterey County; is a board member for the California CASA Association and CASP (Community Alliance for Safety and Peace); and participates in various county system-of-care committees including the local implementation team of the Blue Ribbon Commission on Children in Foster Care.  Greene is active in Carmel-by-the-Sea Rotary and is the past President of the local chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Kinsler has served as Hospice Foundation’s chief executive since 1998.  She joined the organization in March, 1998 several months after it was founded on July 1, 1997 to raise funds and make grants to support hospice and other end-of-life care services in Monterey and San Benito counties.

Under Kinsler’s leadership, Hospice Foundation has awarded more than $20 million in grants locally.  This funding has expanded the availability of hospice services in the region, including specialized children’s services, opened palliative care programs in the region’s four hospitals, and provided support for a variety of grief support and end-of-life educational programs.  Read about the grants that were awarded in the fall of 2012, now at work in the local community.

“It’s been an honor serving in this role for so many years,” Kinsler said, “and now Siobhan will bring her strong leadership capabilities and fundraising experience to the role and continue to steward the hospice mission going forward in our community.”

For more information, visit www.hospicegiving.org or call (831) 333-9023. 

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End of Life Care Needs to Be Seamless

We are always coming across statistics in the literature and comments from providers who tell us about people getting into hospice care too late to truly benefit from all that it has to offer. Primarily it's because one must choose to elect the service and therefore must suspend any curative or prolonging therapies. Most people are not wanting to do that. Totally get that. So what we really need to be looking at is how to deliver high-quality, compassionate, multi-disciplinary end-of-life care seamlessly--no need to elect it. As the needs grow at the end of life, certain services, like additional nursing visits, just begin to build. The problem is, no one has figured out a way to contain or control the costs in something that has no boundaries, like the current Medicare Hospice Benefit.

Hospice Foundation continues to look at this issue, to encourage collaborations among our grant recipients to enhance the end-of-life experience for all.

What do you think? How should this care be handled?

Philanthropy: Cornerstone to a Meaningful Life

By Lisa Bennett

I just learned something troubling:

A study in January this year by U.S. Trust revealed that only 36 percent of the wealthy and very wealthy consider "making a positive impact on society" an important use of their wealth. And only 13 percent consider it important to "leave a legacy of contribution to society."

A 2007 Bank of America study said 98 percent of high-net-worth households give to charity, and most of them give to multiple organizations.

If so many wealthy people are giving to charity, why isn't using their wealth "to make a positive impact on society" a higher priority for them?

I was surprised to learn that the top three priorites cited in the US Trust study were "financial security," "financial freedom" and "travel." Maybe these donors are not giving enough thought behind their philanthropy. Maybe their gifts are at a dollar level not "meaningful" to them.

Philanthropy can be a cornerstone of building a meaningful life by using one's wealth to help create lasting, positive change.

Ask yourself, "When people speak my name after I'm gone, what would I like them to say?"

How would you like to be remembered?

Thoughtful, meaningful philanthropy is one way to seek and find the answer to these questions. Philanthropy that goes beyond the merely transactional and soars into the transformational will help us all - the donors no less than the recipients.

Think about it.

Spirituality and End-of-Life Care Conference

Join us for an enlightening and engaging discussion exploring the topic of "Spirituality and End of Life Care" and featuring two panels of renowned professionals from the clergy, health and human service sectors on Wednesday, April 13, 2011 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at California State University, Monterey Bay. Space is limited; Reservations required to 831-333-9023. Admission by April 8 is $35 and includes lunch; $40 after April 8. More info: http://www.hospicegiving.org

Panelists will discuss and explore the emotional, practical, spiritual and health concerns that emerge throughout a serious illness and at the end-of-life. They will define spirituality as different from religion, and evaluate approaches to end-of-life reminiscence, life review, and dignity enhancement. They will describe successful approaches to helping people utilize and enhance their coping capabilities through various spiritual practices, rituals, beliefs, and within various faith communities.

Ten local non-profit providers will have displays and representatives on hand to answer questions about their services. All are Hospice Foundation grant recipients.

See you there!

Benefits of End-of-Life Conversations

People often avoid talking about end-of-life issues because no one wants to think about death and dying, as if it's not going to happen to them. Planning, preparation and understanding are the keys to having a dignified, peaceful death which most people claim they would like to have. It doesn't mean, of course, that death will happen tomorrow, next week or even next year. But some day. Talking about what you want when you come to the end of your life can be a very tender, bonding experience with your loved one, and they can benefit by talking with you. We want the best for each other.

Conversations between doctors and patients are also a good idea but sadly this will not be part of the health care reform bill.

We've attached a link from Boston.com that addresses this issue. It discusses the benefits to families, patients in having these conversations. Also find this quote:

“Everybody is afraid of death; it’s part of being a human being. But this regressive thing happens when there’s a big public conversation,’’ said Don Schumacher, president of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. “This legislation is an opportunity to begin. Between 2011 and 2028, 70 million people are going to die. That’s a lot of people to care for, and we need to have these conversations."