Blue Ridge Hospice

Blue Ridge Hospice, Inc. began operations in november, 1979, through the vision and determination of two individuals. Blue ride Hospice, Inc. is a medicare and medicaid-certified not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization providing physical, emotional, social and spiritual care for the terminally ill and their families. Blue Ridge Hospice, Inc. has also earned the joint commission's gold seal of approval. At its inception, Blue Ridge Hospice served only a few patients each day in the winchester area. Today, Blue Ridge Hospice serves over 1,600 patients a year in the city of winchester and the surrounding counties offering a variety of care programs, including but not limited to, music therapy, bereavement, and chaplain services. Throughout the years and its growth, Blue Ridge Hospice inc.'s mission has remained constant. Blue Ridge Hospice, Inc. strives to make quality end-of-life care available to individuals and families facing serious illness and to support anyone in our community affected by death, dying, and loss. Blue Ridge Hospice, Inc. is regarded as an integral part of the health services system in the northern shenandoah valley and surrounding area. Blue Ridge Hospice inc.'s current service areas include the city of winchester and the counties of frederick, clarke, warren, shenandoah, page, fauquier, and loudoun. Services provided by Blue Ridge Hospice, Inc. are under professional medical supervision and provided to allow the dying person to live as pain-free and comfortable as possible. Such services include physician care, nursing care, social work, certified nursing assistants, spiritual support, bereavement counseling, music therapy and volunteer assistance. More than 150 volunteers offer generous contributions of time, talent and compassion to Blue Ridge Hospice patients and families. Furthermore, Blue Ridge Hospice serves its patients regardless of their ability to pay for the Hospice services. In 2022, Blue Ridge Hospice provided over $108,400 in charity care to individuals without insurance or the financial means to pay for their care. The cost of this care, as well as the cost of providing unreimbursed services, such as music therapy, chaplain, and bereavement services, is supplemented by Blue Ridge Hospice inc.'s operation of various thrift shops. These thrift shops promote the Hospice mission and awareness as well as support the services provided to patients and families that are well beyond medicare and other insurance reimbursement. The expenses associated with the operation of the thrift shops are included in Blue Ridge Hospice inc.'s fundraising expenses.