News

LOCAL HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS PARTNER
TO FORM LAKELAND HOSPICE & HOME CARE, INC.

Lake Region Healthcare Corporation, Lakeland Hospice, Inc., Broen Memorial Home and Pioneer Retirement Community have partnered to form Lakeland Hospice & Home Care, Inc. The four founding healthcare organizations will be able to do more good together, with increased staff, larger service area, and new organizational structure. The services provided by the Hospice and Home Care programs will not change, and all of the current employees of Lakeland Hospice and Lake Region Home Care have been welcomed into the new organization. “With the help of LRHC, Broen, and Pioneer, we will be able to provide more services to more people in our community and ensure there is a continuum of care for patients in every stage of their illness,” states Cheryl Pelaccio, Administrator of Lakeland Hospice & Home Care. The offices of Lakeland Hospice & Home Care will be in the former Lakeland Hospice building at 120 South Union Avenue in Fergus Falls. The service area of the Hospice program has expanded to include all of Otter Tail, Grant, Stevens, Traverse, and surrounding counties. The Home Care Department will continue to cover Otter Tail, Grant, and parts of surrounding counties.

Lakeland Hospice was formed in 1983 as the brainchild of Rev. Al Maetchke and a group of volunteers who wanted to bring Hospice Care to Fergus Falls. From its beginnings as a small-scale venture staffed almost entirely by volunteers, Lakeland Hospice has since become a leader in providing compassionate nursing care, social services, and grief support to patients at the end of life and their families. Over the last twenty three years, over 1700 families have benefited from the services of Lakeland Hospice.

In 1985, Lake Region Healthcare Corporation opened the doors to its Home Healthcare Department. Over the years that program has changed as well, focusing to more skilled nursing services.

Lakeland Hospice and Home Care, Inc. will remain a locally-run nonprofit organization. The Board of Directors includes Chair Rev. Roger Parks of Clitherall; Vice-Chair, Angelo Griego, RN, Chief Nursing Executive for Lake Region Healthcare Corporation; Secretary Diane Thorson, Director of Otter Tail County Public Health; Treasurer Mark Gaworski, FHFMA, Controller at Lake Region Healthcare Corporation; Medical Director, Dr. Bruce Money; Rod Votava, Bank of the West; Marie Braaten, GNP with the Fergus Falls Medical Group; Ed Mehl, CEO of Lake Region Healthcare Corporation; Ed Strand, CFO and Assistant Administrator of Lake Region Healthcare Corporation; Jon Zwiers, Administrator of Broen Memorial Home; Connie Seltz, representing Broen Memorial Home; John Richards, Administrator of Pioneer Retirement Community, and Dave Schneeberger, Bank of the West.

The process is also underway to form the Lakeland Hospice Foundation, which will support the Hospice programs provided by Lakeland Hospice & Home Care, Inc. All memorials, donations, estates, and event proceeds will be administered under the Foundation and will help fund unreimbursed activities such as the Bereavement Program, Volunteer Program, and will help provide Hospice Care to individuals without insurance coverage.