No one person can provide for all the needs of hospice patients and their families. Therefore, Good Shepherd Hospice care is provided by a team of people with different specialties working together. This provides a comprehensive and responsive form of care, benefiting both patients and families. The team consists of the following people:

Attending Physician: The patient's regular physician, also known as the attending physician, is a key member of the Good Shepherd Hospice team. The attending physician assumes responsibility for medical management of the patient's treatment throughout his or her involvement in the Good Shepherd Hospice program.

Good Shepherd Hospice Staff Physician: The staff physician works with the other multidisciplinary professionals on the staff and the patient's attending physician to provide added expertise for the care of the patient and family. The staff physician may also manage the patient's care in the absence of an attending physician.

Clinical Manager: The clinical manager is the team's leader who oversees the care provided by the team and schedules team member visits with families.

DME Technician: The durable medical equipment technician delivers and maintains medical equipment in the home.

Nursing Staff: The RN care coordinator visits each patient's home and performs regular assessments. He/she is responsible for coordinating the overall care provided to the patient. Working closely with the RN care coordinator, the team LPN regularly visits to provide nursing care and teach the family how to care for the patient. Together, they keep the physician informed and updated about the patient's condition. The number of times a nurse visits a patient depends on the patient's needs.

Infusion Nurse: The infusion nurse is a registered nurse who assists the RN care coordinator by initiating infusion and transfusion treatments. He/she makes periodic visits to patients receiving these therapies to help maintain quality of care and to assist in teaching the family how to manage the equipment.

Social Services Specialist: The social services specialist provides counseling and support to patients, families and/or survivor to assist them with questions and concerns related to the death and dying process.

Bereavement Specialist: The bereavement specialist provides grief support and counseling to family survivors to assist them though the bereavement process. Many services are available for adults and children to support the family through this difficult time and are offered for up to one year after the patient's death. For family members who are not living in the area we are happy to help them find resources where they live.

Certified Hospice Aide: The certified hospice aide is available to provide bathing, shampoos and other types of personal care to patients. The frequency of hospice aide visits is based on the needs of the patient and family.

Chaplain: A hospice chaplain is available to assist patients and families with spiritual or religious matters and consult with community clergy.

Pharmacist and Technicians: The pharmacy staff is available by phone to answer any questions or concerns related to medications. The nursing and medical staff often consults with the pharmacist to assure the best choice of medications for symptom control and other treatments.

Volunteer: Patient/family care volunteers are trained to provide emotional support and companionship to patients and their families. They also provide short-term respite for primary caregivers and family members, as well as practical help such as running errands. Volunteers are not permitted to administer any form of medication to patients. If a volunteer is providing short-term respite care, all medications must be administered prior to the departure of the primary caregiver or are to be prepared so that the patient can administer the medication independently.