Fourth Star for Veterans Program
NorthBay Hospice & Bereavement has earned its fourth star in the We Honor Veterans program, making it the only level-four organization based in Solano County. The national program has helped NorthBay Hospice & Bereavement improve its ability to serve veterans and their families, and to ensure veterans have access to quality end-of-life care, according to Ed Lowe, executive director, NorthBay Health at Home; Hospice & Bereavement.
The program offers ongoing veteran-focused education for staff and volunteers in partnership with the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Since NorthBay launched its program in the fall of 2015, the hospice team has worked to develop and strengthen relationships with Solano County’s Department of Veteran Services, CAL VET (California Department of Veterans Affairs), Travis Air Force Base and others. NorthBay Hospice & Bereavement has also increased its visibility in the community with entries in Fairfield’s Veterans Day Parade and participation in Dixon’s annual North Bay Stand Down event for homeless veterans.
Hospice team members have worked to build a model of veteran-specific standards of practice to integrate into a plan of care for each veteran hospice patient, Lowe noted. “Solano County currently has nearly 35,000 veterans, so it’s important that our hospice program and our hospitals serve this population with compassionate care, right here, close to home. It is our honor to do so,” he added.