Hospice of St. Mary’s welcomed more than 150 community members at a dedication and open house on Sept.16 at the beautiful new Hospice House of St. Mary’s in Callaway.

“Mostly I take great pride in the expanded hospice service that we as a community have been able to provide for folks of St. Mary's County,” said Vince Merz, chair of the Executive Committee for The Campaign for St. Mary’s Hospice House and Hospice of St. Mary’s Board of Directors member.

“Although we have 40 major donors at this point in time (those who have donated at least $10,000), over 60% of the contributions have come in smaller amounts, many much smaller. This means that many people and organizations within the community have played a significant role in realizing this hallmark occasion.”
 
The Hospice House will primarily serve patients during the last two to four weeks of life who may no longer be able to receive care in their own homes due to complicated treatment or family constraints. The house, featuring six patient rooms, will be staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week to meet patients’ needs.

Each bedroom has a different identity, much like a home, and the house includes a large family-style kitchen. The house should begin receiving patients in early November. The facility will also house the Hospice of St. Mary’s offices.

As the final touches are added to the facility, such as landscaping, fundraising efforts are still continuing.

“Although the house now exists, the Campaign is not over; we are $800,000 short of our goal,” said Merz. “Hospice houses historically incur a deficit in the range of $350,000 a year, so an endowment and continual fundraisers are needed to subsidize the service that it offers.”

Hospice of St. Mary’s provides care regardless of a patient’s ability to pay. Volunteers are also needed to prepare meals, maintain cleanliness, do errands and maintain the yard. To learn more, visit www.smhwecare.com/hospice.html.