Pioneering palliative and end-of-life care organization carries strong legacy forward

CHICAGO, Nov. 3, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Three of Illinois' leading palliative and end-of-life care providers are now united as JourneyCare.

Chicago-based Horizon Hospice & Palliative Care, Barrington-based JourneyCare and Glenview-based Midwest Palliative & Hospice CareCenter merged in June. Today, the organization announces its name and new brand.  The new name is JourneyCare, and the new brand conveys excellence and innovation in care, expertise and leadership, and a responsiveness that the organization delivers to patients and families every day. The new visual identity incorporates aspects of each of the three legacy organizations and a look that is designed to speak to the way it looks to the future and ways it will meet growing palliative, supportive and end-of-life care needs locally and nationally.

"Facing serious illness is a journey, and individuals and their families need expert partners in their care that can help them navigate their very personal and meaningful choices, goals and wishes," said Sarah Bealles, President and CEO of JourneyCare. "We believe our brand is the continuation of our commitment to provide our patients and families an unprecedented level of customized care and support, clinical expertise, and 24/7 access to care. It also pays tribute to the pioneering individuals who created these organizations more than 30 years ago."  

JourneyCare now provides greater services to more patients and families across 10 counties in the Chicago area and northern Illinois. The organization serves nearly 3,000 patients of all ages each day with programs and support that are delivered mostly in the home setting. In addition to its five inpatient hospice centers – located in Chicago, Barrington, Woodstock, Arlington Heights, and Glenview – JourneyCare also operates six additional offices to support patient care and services. More than 900 health care professionals serve its patients, along with 1,500 volunteers.

"We are committed to expanding our reach and sharing our expertise so that our community can benefit from more comprehensive palliative, supportive and end-of-life care options," said Bealles. "Our staff and programs are uniquely positioned to meet patients where they are and help them navigate options to find relief from pain and symptoms, as well as support for their physical, spiritual and emotional needs. I am excited to announce this important milestone and continue to build on our many achievements since the merger, with the focus on enhancing care for those we serve."

Since it merged, JourneyCare has been selected as one of the nation's eleven Palliative Care Leadership Centers™ (PCLC) and one of 141 organizations in the nation (2 in Illinois) participating in the Medicare Care Choices Model (MCCM) by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The organization also recently opened its Rockford office.

Other initiatives include now offering the largest pediatric hospice and palliative care programs in Illinois and expanded grief services, which now includes group and individual counseling, workshops and bereavement camps to serve children and teens.

JourneyCare's innovative therapies are also more comprehensive, including the We Honor Veterans program that recognizes veteran patients for their service and helps them access benefits; Jewish Care Services, which honors our Jewish patients' traditions, rites and customs; Music Care Services, which includes music therapy and music-thanatology; and Massage, Art and Pet Therapies.

Moving forward, JourneyCare maintains its commitment to building future leaders who provide exceptional palliative medicine and hospice care. We collaborate with several palliative medicine fellowship programs in partnership with select teaching hospitals, and also serve as a training site for social workers, chaplains, nurses and advance practice nurses, who gain hands-on experience working with seriously ill patients in a variety of settings.

JourneyCare is the new combined organization of Horizon Hospice & Palliative Care, JourneyCare, and Midwest Palliative & Hospice CareCenter. The three organizations came together in 2015 to provide greater services to more patients and families across 10 counties in the Chicago area and northern Illinois. For details on our organization, visit www.journeycare.org.

Contact:
Kristin Gover 
[email protected] 
847-556-1650

Lisa Encarnacion  
[email protected] 
847-556-1648

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SOURCE JourneyCare

Related Links

http://www.journeycare.org