North Arkansas Regional Medical Center (NARMC) and the Hospice of the Hills hosted a Business After Hours on Thursday, Sept. 27, on the first floor of the patient tower. Vince Leist, NARMC president and CEO, welcomed the crowd and gave some history of the Hospice House. Leist said, the idea formed in the minds of three women in 1992. 

A history section on the new Hospice of the Hills website states, “After recently losing her husband, Glenna Ragan recognized the need for hospice care in the Harrison area. Soon after, while dining at a downtown restaurant, she overheard two women at a nearby table conferring the need for a hospice.  She introduced herself to Peggy Witty and Cloteen Cowan.  Together they discussed what they felt was an important cause.  Soon after their chance meeting, Glenna, Peggy and Cloteen began gathering supporters.  In 1992 Hospice of the Hills was formed as a non-profit 501(c)3 organization.”

Also in 1992, Hospice of the Hills joined forces with the hospital and served their first patient in 1993. In 2005, funds were raised to build a house for hospice patients if they desired to leave their home.  “This community came together to meet the needs of the dying and their families,” Leist said. “Hospice care is a service designed to provide safety, quality of life and pain management to folks who are dying. It takes some special folks to do that.”

President of the Hospice board, Rhonda Laborde said, “I am so proud to be a part of something built by the community, for the community.  The Hospice House is the only non-profit house in the community.”  The current fund-raising campaign is to add additional space to the Hospice House.  When completed, the house will have eight rooms for patients, two family rooms as well as an atrium common area, a meeting room and office space built underneath. “In the last two years, the Hospice House home health staff has made 10,302 visits to a patient’s home and hospice patients have spent 1,498 days in the House.”

Michael Willis explained some new features of the website.  Individuals can get messages to Hospice patients, check on their condition and make donations to the Hospice House. For more information, the website is HospiceoftheHills.com or call (870) 743-6860 or toll free (800) 368 – 7408.