Hospice of Washington County breaks ground

Staff, volunteers, public officials and contractors gathered at Hospice of Washington County to break ground for a major renovation project Wednesday afternoon.

Hospice Building Committee Chair and board of directors member Janelle Johnson said the plans, in the works since 2017, would fix flooding and foundation issues at the office.

“Along with the flooding issues there are cracks in the foundation,” she said. “When you look at the building from the front it looks like a really nice building, but when you get inside and look at it structurally it’s not a long-term solution.”

Though the building will stay on the current office’s lot, Johnson said the renovations would fix flooding issues since the new building won’t have a basement. The old basement will be converted into a bioswale to improve the lot’s drainage.

Johnson said the hospice center, which is not affiliated with the county government despite its name, relies on fundraising to sustain itself and fund projects like the renovation. So far, Johnson said they had met half of their $1.5 million goal for the construction.

“We will have to borrow if we don’t raise enough funds, which we can do,” she said. “It’s obviously not the best solution for us as a non-profit, but we’re at a point where we feel like we have to do something before we don’t have a building that is safe and usable.”

Johnson said the team was experienced in fundraising. As a non-profit, the group charges insurance payments when appropriate, typically to Medicare and Medicaid, but never require co-pays or any other direct expense from patients.

“We are the only local not for profit hospice,” she said. “Our patients do not get charged a fee, no matter what. No matter their insurance coverage, no matter their funding sources... no patient ever receives a bill from Hospice of Washington County.”

Though the pandemic hindered fundraising efforts and raised construction costs, hospice staff were optimistic.

“We do still have some dollars left to raise,” Executive Director Katrina Altenhofen said at the groundbreaking event. “This community has proudly — despite COVID, despite our inability to knock on doors — you guys have been here to help us step up to the plate.”

With the groundbreaking complete, Johnson said construction crews would start digging Monday, with staff hoping to move into the new building by the end of the year.