Hospice of Michigan Receives $7,500 Grant From Charlevoix County Community Foundation

Funds provided from Community Priorities Cycle will benefit not-for-profit’s wE-Connect telehealth tool

CHARLEVOIX, Mich. (June 15, 2021) Hospice of Michigan, the state’s original and largest not-for-profit hospice provider, has received a $7,500 grant from the Charlevoix County Community Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to improving and enriching life for all who live in the Charlevoix County region. The grant is part of the Charlevoix County Community Foundation’s Community Priorities Cycle, which allows eligible nonprofit partners to apply for general financial support and funding – and will benefit Hospice of Michigan’s wE-Connect telehealth tool.

wE-Connect was launched in March 2020 as a direct response to the growing COVID-19 pandemic – eliminating any gaps in care due to visitor restrictions at hospitals, nursing homes and other care facilities. The virtual wE-Connect program allows caregivers to facilitate video visits between patients and their loved ones on tablets equipped with existing data plans – ensuring access to Hospice of Michigan’s care to anyone who needs it, without the added barrier of limited internet availability. Although wE-Connect does not replace Hospice of Michigan’s high-touch, in-person bedside primary model of care, it does add another dimension to provide patients and families the ability to receive and deliver quality and timely hospice and end-of-life care – as well as additional services such as complementary therapies and grief support services.

The $7,500 grant allows Hospice of Michigan to purchase approximately 23 of the 36 tablets needed to support wE-Connect program for patients and caregivers in Charlevoix County.

“This very generous grant from the Charlevoix County Community Foundation is a major step in making wE-Connect available to regions throughout the state – especially here in the Charlevoix area,” said Roxanne Kiesling, philanthropy manager for Hospice of Michigan. “COVID-19 sparked this program – and even as we move into a ‘post-pandemic’ world, wE-Connect will be here to stay, for years to come, so we can continue providing the very best end-of-life to patients and their families.”

Hospice of Michigan served 32 patients in Charlevoix County in 2020 through its Open Access Program, which provides exceptional end-of-life care and support for anyone with a terminal illness, regardless of their age, diagnosis or ability to pay. For more information about the services Hospice of Michigan offers in Charlevoix County and throughout the state, please visit www.hom.org.