Hospice of Michigan's mission is to ensure quality of life and a comfortable, peaceful death for all patients receiving our care, and to provide support for their loved ones.

We will serve everyone in our communities who needs and seeks our care and strive to improve the state of end of life care.

Description:
Hospice of Michigan exists to bring comfort and care to people during the final stage of their lives and to support their families through this stressful period. The first priority in hospice is to control pain. Studies show that up to 80% of cancer patients with pain do not receive adequate pain relief. Some are in constant agony. Pain becomes the measure by which they define their existence. In hospice, this is simply not acceptable. At hospice, we say pain can and must be controlled. And it can be done in such a way that the patient can remain alert.

History:
Hospice of Michigan traces its roots to November 1980, when, what was then Hospice of Southeastern Michigan, accepted its first patient.

The fledling organization was a pilot program of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan and a consortium of several Detroit-area hospitals. It was the first certified hospice of Michigan and one of the first in the country.

At that time, providing comfort care to people at end of life was a new concept, in light of the advancing technology used to fight disease at all costs. Early hospice pioneers, such as those at Hospice of Southeastern Michigan and others around the state, felt that people should have the choice of spending their final months and weeks in comfort and with those they love. The hospice concept flourished and became a Medicare-covered benefit in the mid 1980s.

Hospice of Western Michigan, later known as Hospice of Greater Grand Rapids, opened its doors in spring, 1981 and Hospice of Alpena, later known as Hospice of Northeastern Michigan, was incorporated later that summer. Through 1989, hospice programs formed in Big Rapids, Cadillac, Ludington, Fremont, Gaylord and Roscommon. In 1994, these hospice programs merged to form Hospice of Michigan. Today, HOM is the largest of the more than 100 hospice programs in Michigan. Each day, Hospice of Michigan serves more than 850 terminally ill individuals and their families in 45 counties throughout the state.

Contact person: Ann Thomas, Volunteer Service Manager, (phone), (email)
Office fax number: 616-356-5230

Address:

1260 Ekhart NE Grand Rapids, MI 49503 (See a map)

Directions:

Take 1-96 to Fuller Street exit North. Head north to Ekhart, turn right Hospice of Michigan is at the end of the cul-de-sac. Enter at main entrance.   Nearest Metro/Subway Stop: NA   Nearest Bus Stop: Leonard & Fuller, 2 minute walk