Laura Young
ECB Publishing, Inc.
Big Bend Hospice (BBH) expects to have their new field office in Monticello complete by the end of March! Once open, this new BBH facility will make a significant difference for the medical personnel, bereavement counselors and volunteers who provide in-home patient care locally. They are the nurses, nursing assistants, clergy and social workers who provide care, comfort and support during a family's time of serious illness or grief.
The Jefferson County Big Bend Hospice Advisory Council began the project to establish a permanent office here nine years ago with a vision and a grassroots fundraising effort.
When they broke ground in December of 2022, Julie Conley, then Mayor of Monticello, said, “I can tell you that the city is delighted that Big Bend Hospice has decided to increase its footprint in Monticello. It really adds a lot of value to our community. Having all of these professionals come together and work here, I think, lifts the profile of our community, and we are very grateful.”
Since construction began fully about six months ago, local contractors have been busy turning the lot on North Jefferson Street from a “field of dreams” into a real field office. Now the project has entered its final stages, and soon BBH will be moving from their rental space on Walnut Street into a community-built structure financed by local dollars on BBH-owned land acquired through local donations.
During a recent walk-through of the site, Michael Eurich, Senior Director of Strategy, Policy & Innovation for BBH, emphasized the community-based nature of the project: “Everything that you see is through community fundraising. There are no outside Jefferson County dollars in this project. It is homegrown and home-based. It's wonderful!”
As he showed the foyer area, he explained that it is designed to include a reception desk where a volunteer can provide information to residents who may come by to inquire about BBH services. A clinician will typically be on site, Eurich said, and office space for staff to consult with members of the public is provided just off the foyer. Also accessible from the public entrance are restrooms and a large conference room, suitable for group counseling sessions, interdisciplinary team discussions, advisory council meetings and social events. This room opens out onto a wrap-around porch eight feet deep so that the space can be expanded during pleasant weather.
For HIPAA protection, the rest of the building is secure so that patient information remains appropriately safeguarded. This area includes two more clinical offices and a supply room, where items like diapers and catheters can be stored, ready for staff to take as needed out into the field on home visits. BBH will not store any medications on the premises, Eurich pointed out. The secure area also includes a workroom for handling paperwork and client charts. An equipped kitchen, centrally located between the large meeting room and various offices, will serve as a break room for staff and volunteers as well as a staging area for catering special events.
“There are no appointments with patients coming in here,” Eurich wanted to make clear. “This field office is not a clinic and not an administrative office. It is a base for our clinicians who go out into the community and serve the needs of the population in their home – whether that is a residence, a nursing home or hospice respite center. There are no accountants, bookkeepers or HR staff here; that type of work will all still be based out of Tallahassee.”
“This community has been very, very generous,” continued Eurich. “We are looking forward to being a permanent part of it and not just tenants.”
As construction nears completion, the drywall is ready to be painted, plaster is going up on the porch ceiling and soon there'll be flooring, fixtures, appliances and furniture to install. In addition, Eurich is working to put together a landscaping committee of volunteer gardeners from the community who can create beautiful grounds radiating out from the handsome building. Any local experienced gardener who is interested may contact him at (850) 878-5310 or maeurich@bigbendhospice.org.
Even beyond the new BBH site itself, the BBH Advisory Council of Jefferson County is working to ensure that the stretch of U.S. 19 that their new building faces will be a well maintained part of the community as well. To that end, they have become partners in the Adopt-a-Highway program. Christie Newell brought the idea to her fellow Council members last year, and they voted to participate in this local litter control program.
“Our Council wanted to give back to our community,” she said in a recent email communication. “We want to be involved in activities that help keep Jefferson County so beautiful. We are very proud to live in and represent Jefferson County.”
The somewhat lengthy application process was recently completed, and a sign recognizing their road adoption appears across the street. The Council plans to conduct trash pick-up events four times a year, with pick-up sticks, safety vest, road signs and trash bags supplied by the Jefferson County Solid Waste Department, where Newell works.
Big Bend Hospice has been serving this community for 41 years, since 1983, and Eurich is hopeful that having a permanent field office in Monticello will give them a stronger and even more effective presence in the community for 41 more years into the future by providing easier access for the clinical staff to address the healthcare needs of residents of Monticello and Jefferson County and by being a local focal point for individuals who have questions or concerns about hospice end-of-life care and advance directives.
“We appreciate all of the contributions that have gone into this,” said Eurich. “Again, it is 100 percent community-based, 100 percent community thought, 100 percent community funded. When you get all of the people together it is just warming to know there is that much support in Monticello. I love this town!”
For more information about BBH services, call (850) 878-5310 or visit www.bigbendhospice.org.
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