Haven Hospice Opens New Custead Care Center In Orange Park

ORANGE PARK, Fla., Aug. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Yesterday Haven Hospice along with local community and business leaders announced the completion and opening of the Homer J. Sr. & Fern O. Custead Care Center. Haven's president, Tim Bowen, addressed staff, supporters and community stakeholders on the grounds of the new 20,000 square foot facility located on nearly nine acres off of Blanding Boulevard in Orange Park.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120803/CL51804 )

Named for the Custead family, who has longstanding ties to the Clay County area and made the facility possible through their generous gift, the state-of-the-art Custead Care Center will provide expanded service to the patients and families in Orange Park and Clay County.

"Haven Hospice is pleased to expand its direct service and care to meet the needs of residents in Clay County," said Tim Bowen, president of Haven Hospice.  "When we develop each of our centers we, in essence, form lasting partnerships with the local communities we serve. That starts with fundraising and it extends to the beautiful completed facility we see today," he added.

The Custead Care Center, one of five freestanding hospice inpatient facilities Haven operates, will provide a wealth of resources for individuals, their families and the community. Some of the services that it will provide include:  inpatient palliative and end of life care; respite care support for families and caregivers; and grief support.

The Custead Care Center represents an investment of over $10 million in the community. The center will require 50 full-time positions, employing residents throughout the Jacksonville area, and annual operating expenses will contribute $1.5 million to the local economy.

Alongside the facility's 18 private inpatient rooms, Haven offers a non-denominational chapel for memorial services, prayers and meditation. A large community room in the administrative building can also be used by local groups and organizations to host events and meetings.

"While we provide most care wherever our patients call home, more than 60 percent of them utilize our care centers at some point in time. Our care centers are important parts of their communities, today and into the future," Bowen said.

The new center's design takes inpatient hospice care to a new level. Haven Hospice received an Honorable Mention from the Long-Term Living and Healthcare Design Magazine in March. A large group of senior living experts recognized the Custead Care Center for its connection to the outdoors and thoughtful integration into the surrounding natural environment. Its careful design saved more than 80% of the specimen trees on the nine acre property.

The Custead Care Center was also built to the Florida Department of Emergency Management's standards for a Special Needs Shelter and can withstand the impact of a Category 3 hurricane. No other freestanding hospice inpatient facility in north Florida has been built to these standards.  This new inpatient hospice care center will help Haven Hospice better serve the needs of Clay County and its residents, which it has done since 2002.

Putting compassion and comfort first and foremost, more than 600 employees and over 600 volunteers have helped Haven care for more than 60,000 patients and families in 18 counties in north Florida since 1979. To learn more about Haven's services, volunteer opportunities or ways to support the care Haven Hospice provides, visit http://www.havenhospice.org/.

About Haven Hospice
Haven Hospice is a community-based not-for-profit hospice organization providing services since 1979 and licensed in Florida since 1980. Haven is North Florida's expert in end-of-life and palliative care, receiving national recognition as a Circle of Life Award Recipient from the American Hospital Association for its excellence and innovation. Haven has also been recognized as a Florida Pacesetter for its leadership in promoting advance directives. For more than 30 years Haven has had the honor and privilege to serve more than 60,000 patients and families in North Florida. For more information, visit www.havenhospice.org or call 800-727-1889.

CONTACT: Emily Brady at 803.233.2452 or [email protected] 

SOURCE Haven Hospice