1996   Combine Cass and Van Buren county divisions and open an office in Decatur to more efficiently deliver hospice services in Cass and Van Buren counties.

Joint Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations accredits agency.

1997   Begin construction on Rose Arbor residential facility. Donations from the community fund the project in less than 6 months.   

1998   Open Rose Arbor, the first licensed hospice residence in the State of Michigan, for clients who have no caregiver or who need palliative care in a more structured setting.

1999   Joint Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations accredits agency.

Rose Arbor wins award for architectural design.

2000   Relocate Cass and Van Buren county division to 310 E. Sherwood in Decatur.

Hire full-time Medical Director.

2001   Medicare approves Rose Arbor to provide inpatient level of care.

2002   A two year pilot project with Bronson Methodist Hospice begins to provide palliative care consultations using a team approach involving our Medical Director and a Hospice social worker.      

Introduce Journeys of Grief, an innovative grief support program for children, teens and their families open to the community.

Joint Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations accredits agency.

Establish community outreach program for underserved populations.

Hire additional staff for the provision of continuous care.

Hire Human Resource Director as staff surpasses 100 in number.

Open 6 additional client rooms at Rose Arbor.

2004   Hire Care Partners Team Leader to strengthen collaboration with nursing care facilities. 

Hire IT Systems Specialist to support the agency's technology needs.

As staff increases, begin search for new corporate office location.

2005   Partner with Kalamazoo Center for the Healing Arts to provide massage therapy for clients.

Move Kalamazoo office from its location of the past 20 years to 222 N. Kalamazoo Mall. 

Joint Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations accredits agency.

Join the Consortium for the Arts and Healing, a collaboration of regional hospice   providers, to train artists to work with hospice clients and to offer a grief camp experience for children and their families.

Implement music therapy program for clients and families. Hire Chief Operating Officer and Community Relations Officer.

Hire Chief Operating Officer and Community Relations Officer.
 

Brown University selects Hospice to participate in a national best practices study of successful collaborations between hospices and nursing homes in end-of-life care. The study is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
 

2006   Implement Seasons, a weekend expressive arts grief camp for families at Pretty Lake Vacation Camp, through our leadership with the consortium for the Arts and Healing.

Develop and implement Grief 101 in partnership with Kalamazoo Public Schools to provide students with grief and loss support while at school.

Initiate Moving Forward, a program providing a safe place for younger widows, widowers and others who have lost a partner to gather for education, sharing, support and activities.

Publish Living Well, Dying Well, a book of twelve short stories about the hospice experience of families served at Rose Arbor, through the creative talents and leadership of Brenda Murphy, hospice volunteer.

Facilitate Picturing Death, a guided journaling experience to learn about one's thoughts and feelings around death at the Portage District Library.

2007   Increase client length of stay by 28%.

Move to an electronic medical record to enhance communication and provide access to up-to-date information.

Join Quality Partners, an initiative of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization to build organizational excellence and improve hospice and palliative care delivery and outcomes.

Hire a volunteer team leader to focus on volunteer department growth.

In partnership with Western Michigan University, increase number student interns in various education disciplines, including nursing, social work, health care administration and music therapy.

Initiate Best Practices program, involving staff through interviews and surveys.

Move Cass/Van Buren office to Paw Paw location near Lakeview Hospital.

Open satellite office in Dowagiac.

Build Rose Arbor addition to support staff and volunteer needs.