Blanche Jewell named 2016 LMHPCO’s Heart of Hospice Award Winner
Becky Pardue, Mississippi Winner, and Blanche Jewell, Louisiana Winner
Blanche Jewell, Pointe Coupee Hospice Volunteer Coordinator, has been named the 2016 LMHPCO’s Heart of Hospice Award Winner! On July 28, 2016 during the annual LMHPCO Conference at the Loews Hotel in New Orleans the winners were presented with the award and recognized. Jenny Settoon, LCSW for Pointe Coupee Hospice, introduced Blanche to the audience that included invited guests of Blanche- family, friends and co-workers.The Heart of Hospice is an annual award presented by the Louisiana-Mississippi Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (LMHPCO). The recipient of this award is a hospice team member from each of the two states who has demonstrated outstanding achievements in hospice and end-of-life care. The individual’s history and relationship to hospice care, accomplishments, and contributions that go above and beyond everyday job duties are considered when choosing the award winner.
Individuals who have experience in hospice understand that being a hospice care provider is more than just a job. It requires a level of dedication and commitment to excellence that only a few can master. They do their jobs often unrecognized and with only the personal satisfaction that comes from making a tremendous difference in the lives of patients and families at the most difficult time. The Heart of Hospice award is a way that fellow hospice providers can showcase an individual who has made an outstanding commitment to the care of patients with terminal illnesses. Blanche Jewell is truly the Heart of Hospice.
Blanche is the third Pointe Coupee Hospice employee to receive this prestigious award. In 2010 the award was presented to volunteer, Cindy Gaspard and her dog Wrinkles and in 2013 to the late Dr. Robert N. Helm. Dr. Helm was the agency medical director and hospice physician, as well as, a Pointe Coupee Hospice volunteer.
Congratulations to Blanche! During her acceptance speech, Blanche told the audience, “Hospice is about living”. She is a true gift to everyone she interacts with.
