Memphis, Tenn., Sept. 6, 2006 - Baptist Trinity Hospice will dedicate its new inpatient hospice unit inside Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis on Wednesday, Sept. 6 at 4 p.m. in the hospital’s Seminar Rooms 2 and 3, with tours following the brief program.

The first and only in Memphis, the eight-bed unit expands on the end-of-life care provided to patients and family members.

The hospice unit brings together a team of doctors, nurses, social workers, chaplains, bereavement specialists and dedicated volunteers. Families receive additional support services, such as anticipatory grief counseling and comfort baskets to educate them about the changes their loved ones may experience.

“In a hospice setting, we focus on doing everything we can to make patients as comfortable as possible, from pain and symptom management to emotional support,” said Nancy Averwater, administrator and chief executive officer of Baptist Trinity Home Care & Hospice. “It’s about embracing life and helping to ensure patients live each moment to the fullest.”

A grant from the Baptist Memorial Health Care Foundation enabled the rooms to be updated to create a homelike environment. Each patient room has drapes, recliners, CD players and a small refrigerator. A family room includes comfortable furniture, a computer and a television.

Baptist is the only health care system in the Mid-South offering comprehensive end-of-life care that spans the entire continuum of care. The scope of services includes inpatient hospice, palliative care programs in two large, acute-care hospitals, grief camps and a comprehensive bereavement center.

“Because Baptist provides a full spectrum of end-of-life care programs, the transition from one program to another is seamless for the patient and family,” said Averwater. “The dignity of each patient is preserved through Baptist’s emphasis on providing many choices for compassionate and holistic care.”

Baptist Trinity Hospice provides care and services to terminally ill patients and their family members. Although cancer remains one of the primary diagnoses for hospice patients, others with terminal illnesses such as AIDS and congestive heart failure also receive care in the program. For more information about Baptist Trinity Hospice, please call 901-767-6767 or visit http://trinity.baptistonline.org.

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