Hospice of Michigan Receives More Than $2 Million Estate Gift to Support Patients and Families in Southeast Michigan

Legacy gift to benefit hospice simulation lab, telehealth innovation and integrative therapies

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (July 5, 2023) Hospice of Michigan recently received a more than $2 million estate gift from the Donald George Palardy and Shirley A. Palardy Estate to support patients and families across southeast Michigan.

As the largest single estate gift Hospice of Michigan has ever received, the $2,023,079.90 Palardy Estate gift will help fund three of the not-for-profit’s innovative programs:

  • The NorthStar Institute Simulation Lab: One of the few dedicated end-of-life hospice simulation labs in the U.S., and the first in Michigan, the SIM Lab offers cutting-edge, hands-on tools and resources to provide hospice clinicians advanced, real-world training and education focused on the mastery of both technical skills and facilitating effective conversations around death and dying. In turn, patients benefit from an improved quality of care and a reduced risk of adverse errors occurring.
  • NorthStar Live Integrated Care (LINC): An innovative, custom-designed hospice telehealth tool, NorthStar LINC connects hospice patients to both their medical care team and their loved ones through an intuitive, high-quality virtual care experience. Hospice patients can order medicine and supplies, report symptoms, access educational tools, and communicate with caregivers and family members using these tablets – offering them 24/7 access to their care team via chat or video.
  • Integrative Therapies: Hospice of Michigan’s Integrative Therapies program brings the beauty of the human experience to patients through music therapy. If it weren’t for the generosity of donors, the not-for-profit could not hold these in-person or virtual visits to provide comfort and ease pain.

“We are blown away by the generosity of the Palardy family. All three of these programs are fully funded by philanthropy dollars, so this gift will make a tremendous impact at the bedside,” said Stephanie Le, director of major and planned gifts at Hospice of Michigan. “While not all gifts are this big, each is special in its own way. Estate gifts are a wonderful way to honor a donors’ legacy. I’m always fascinated to learn about what’s important to our donors so we can help them be remembered in a meaningful way.”

Thoughtfully planned, an estate gift allows individuals and families to enhance their financial well-being while fulfilling their philanthropic goals. To learn more about how to include Hospice of Michigan in your estate plans, contact Stephanie Le at 248-346-4253 or sle@HOM.ORG.

“I’m honored to be part of this historic gift for Hospice of Michigan, knowing the Palardy legacy will live on to support individuals across southeast Michigan,” said Irving Yellin, a certified public accountant and the trustee for the Donald George Palardy and Shirley A. Palardy Estate. “This donation is the perfect example of how a family’s financial planning can have a major community impact.”

To learn more about Hospice of Michigan, visit hom.org.