Visit the BridgingLife website (formerly Carroll Hospice) to learn more about the compassionate care we’ve been providing for more than 30 years.
My Why Wednesday: Kim Simmons
Each April, BridgingLife honors Hospice Heroes at its annual Taste of Carroll presented by M&T Bank. These individuals, nominated by their peers, are recognized for their dedication for quality hospice care in our communities.
Hospice Hero Kim Simmons has been an audit and compliance specialist at BridgingLife for nearly three years.
My Why Wednesday: Diane Devaney
Each April, BridgingLife honors Hospice Heroes at its annual Taste of Carroll presented by M&T Bank. These individuals, nominated by their peers, are recognized for their dedication for quality hospice care in our communities.
Diane Devaney, founder and president of advertising agency Devaney & Associates, has been a marketing partner with BridgingLife (and Carroll Hospital) for nearly 30 years, creating ad campaigns, collateral material and more for hospice awareness.
What do you love about your job and why?
We love working with Reggie Bodnar [executive director and assistant vice president of LifeBridge Health’s hospice and palliative care] and the hospice team. Helping to communicate the support and benefits of hospice care is so important and can make such an impact on families. In addition, helping to support fundraising for hospice has been very fulfilling.
What is your most memorable experience working with BridgingLife? As a past chair of Taste of Carroll and being involved since its inception, I have been honored to work with the tireless team of volunteers raising money for Carroll Hospice and BridgingLife.
My Why Wednesday: Jo Fleck
Each April, BridgingLife honors Hospice Heroes at its annual Taste of Carroll presented by M&T Bank. These individuals, nominated by their peers, are recognized for their dedication for quality hospice care in our communities.
Hospice Hero Jo Fleck has been involved with the organization from its inception, first as a volunteer, then as a staff member. After retiring, she has continued to volunteer in various capacities.
How long have you been with BridgingLife?
My husband and I were both involved in the early planning stages of hospice in Carroll County. I started as a patient volunteer, and he served on the board.
I then became one of the first staff members as the patient family coordinator. Later, I served as the director of clinical services until I retired from nursing in 1997.
Since then, I have “kept my fingers” in hospice care as a bereavement volunteer, serving on the Taste of Carroll committee and most recently as a pet therapy volunteer with my dog Maggie.
What do you love about your job and why?
The satisfaction of seeing a patient and or family member light up when Maggie and I greet them and spend time with them.
What’s your most memorable experience working with BridgingLife?
The most memorable experience was working with my first hospice patient and family, first the wife and shortly afterwards the husband. I still have contact with the family.
I will always remember the words “thank you ” from so many who are truly grateful for the compassionate and loving care given by all of us that have chosen to dedicate ourselves to hospice.
What does CARE BRAVELY mean to you and how do you CARE BRAVELY?
To CARE BRAVELY to me means to not be afraid to enter into the most private time of a dying person’s life; to not be afraid to answer and ask the tough questions and to have the courage to companion them at their time of death.
Finding Support and Hope
Melissa Dolan, LCSW-C, a bereavement counselor at BridgingLife, reflects on how to find hope during the grieving process.
On a recent morning while walking my dog, I was reflecting on hope. Overhead came the honk and response of 31 Canada geese. Their calls filled the air as I looked up and saw the identifiable “V” formation. Many years ago, I learned why they fly in this pattern.
My Why Wednesday: Claire Floyd, RN
Each April, BridgingLife honors Hospice Heroes at its annual Taste of Carroll presented by M&T Bank. These individuals, nominated by their peers, are recognized for their dedication for quality hospice care in our communities.
Claire Floyd, RN, is a nursing informatics specialist at BridgingLife. She has supported the team for two years by helping her colleagues in effectively utilizing technology to enhance their workflows and patient care. Read More
My Why Wednesday: Pam Naumann
Each April, BridgingLife honors Hospice Heroes at its annual Taste of Carroll presented by M&T Bank.
These individuals, nominated by their peers, are recognized for their dedication for quality hospice care in our communities.
Registered nurse Pam Naumann has been a BridgingLife team member since 2008. In 2015, she wanted to be more of an asset to the organization, so she became a part of triage, visits, liaison, admissions and whatever else was needed. “I want to ensure that anyone who needs my assistance, and I am available, that I am there for them—whether it be day, night or weekend,” she says.
Comforting Choices: Understanding Palliative Care and Hospice Care
Facing a serious illness can be overwhelming, leaving individuals and their families grappling with complex decisions about their care. While both hospice and palliative care aim to improve quality of life, they serve distinct purposes and offer different approaches.
Identifying Your Medical Care Wishes
Two important documents identify your medical care wishes: an order for life-sustaining treatment and an advance directive.
My Why Wednesday: Chaplain Mia Amos
Each April, BridgingLife honors Hospice Heroes at its annual Taste of Carroll presented by M&T Bank.
These individuals, nominated by their peers, are recognized for their dedication for quality hospice care in our communities.
Chaplain Mia Amos has worked at BridgingLife for the past three years. As such, Mia provides spiritual support and counseling to address the significant emotions that arise near the end of life.
She is a part of the Home Hospice East Team and supports patients and families in Baltimore County, Baltimore City and areas on Carroll/Baltimore County line.
My Why Wednesday: Marty & Carolyn Burns
Each April, BridgingLife honors Hospice Heroes at its annual Taste of Carroll presented by M&T Bank.
For more than two decades, Community Hospice Heroes Marty and Carolyn Burns have been deeply involved with supporting hospice care in our community.
Marty, president of Visiting Angels, has been a community partner with BridgingLife for more than 21 years. Carolyn, who has been on the Taste of Carroll committee since the early 2000s, worked as a physical therapist for Carroll Home Care/Carroll Hospice for four years and Northwest Hospital for seven years.