A HOUSE RESOLUTION recognizing the importance of hospice care, while honoring the memory of jean moulthrop hoogstra for her role in developing hospice care in western north carolina.
Whereas, the origin of the word "hospice" can be traced to medieval times when it referred to a place where tired or sick travelers could find shelter to rest; and
Whereas, the term was first applied to specialized care for dying patients by Dame Cicely Saunders, a physician who began working with the terminally ill in 1948, and who went on to establish the first modern hospice, known as St. Christopher's Hospice, in London; and
Whereas, in 1963, Dame Cicely Saunders introduced the idea of hospice to the United States during a lecture at Yale University; and
Whereas, by the mid‑1970s, two hospices were operating in the United States; and
Whereas, hospice organizations emphasize quality of life to the terminally ill by providing physical, emotional, and spiritual support to patients and their families; and
Whereas, in 1979, Jean Moulthrop Hoogstra of Hendersonville, North Carolina, learned of St. Christopher's Hospice and, soon after, with the help of Dr. John Esse, organized a committee of members from the community representing medical, legal, religious, and other professions to explore the concept of developing a hospice facility for western North Carolina; and
Whereas, in December of 1979, Hospice of Henderson County was incorporated as a nonprofit organization with the following members serving as either officers or members of the Board of Directors: Jean Moulthrop Hoogstra, Claire Burson, Miriam Kussrow, Lex Veazey, Dr. Jerald Pyles, Joyce Coates, Wendy Goodwin, Sudi Hicks, Ray McCaslin, Chaplain David Prest, Wanda Wolfe, Jane Zecher, and Reverend Richard Randolph; and
Whereas, Hospice of Henderson County also had a number of consultants, advisors, and volunteers who offered tremendous support in getting the organization started and furthering its mission; and
Whereas, Hospice of Henderson County received "seed money" from Immaculate Conception Church and St. John in the Wilderness Church; and
Whereas, a very generous donation from Melvin and Georgiana Lane through the "Venture in Mission" program of the Episcopal Diocese provided the funds necessary for Hospice of Henderson County to start patient care and enabled the organization to move from the home of Jean Moulthrop Hoogstra and Richard Moulthrop into donated space in the First Presbyterian Church in Hendersonville, North Carolina; and
Whereas, Hospice of Henderson County served its first patient in 1981; and
Whereas, in April 1999, Hospice of Henderson County opened Elizabeth House, a 12‑bed inpatient hospice residence and, in 2007, expanded the facility to 19 beds; and
Whereas, in 2003, Hospice of Henderson County added a palliative care program and, in 2005, became a nationally recognized clinical research department; and
Whereas, in 2009, Hospice of Henderson County was renamed Four Seasons Compassion for Life, during which time, the organization received the prestigious Circle of Life Award for its innovative care; and
Whereas, Jean Moulthrop Hoogstra worked for more than 30 years with Four Seasons Compassion for Life, with the support of her husband, Richard Moulthrop, prior to his death, and later husband, Don Hoogstra, both of whom served as volunteers with the agency; and
Whereas, in 2011, Jean Moulthrop Hoogstra was awarded the Judith Lund Person Hospice Volunteer Award by the Carolina Center for Hospice and End of Life Care; and
Whereas, prior to her death in 2012, Jean Moulthrop Hoogstra was proud to know that Four Season Compassion for Life had served more than 10,000 patients and their families and would continue to grow; Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:
SECTION 1.  The House of Representatives honors the memory of Jean Moulthrop Hoogstra and expresses its appreciation for her role in establishing a hospice facility to help care for patients and their families in western North Carolina.
SECTION 2.  The House of Representatives recognizes the valuable services hospice facilities provide, and applauds Four Seasons Compassion for Life for its many years of service.
SECTION 3.  The Principal Clerk shall transmit a certified copy of this resolution to the family of Jean Moulthrop Hoogstra and Four Seasons Compassion for Life.
SECTION 4.  This resolution is effective upon adoption.