SPRINGDALE: Hospice opening 8-room addition
Housewarming is 5:30-7:30 today
Posted: July 30, 2009 at 5:40 a.m.
SPRINGDALE — A newly completed addition to Circle of Life Hospice in Springdale bustled with activity Wednesday as crews and employees prepared for a housewarming scheduled tonight.
Two men worked on their knees in the atrium slathering mortar on the floor and securing bricks engraved with names of people who have donated to the center over the years. Another pair from the hospice's accounting department tucked in fresh white linens on a hospital bed in one of the addition's suites.Landscaping crews worked outside the window to level an area.
The nonprofit center broke ground on the eight-bed expansion in September to help fill the need for end-of-life services for residents in Washington, Benton, Carroll and Madison counties. The center is funded through Medicare, Medicaid, insurance plans, memorials, grants and donations, according to its Web site, nwacircleoflife.com.
Officials said then they hoped the addition of a west wing would eliminate the needfor a waiting list. On Wednesday, all of the center's original 16 beds were full and one person was listed as waiting to check in.
The center is awaiting the state's final clearance for the addition to start accepting patients, said Mary McKinney, chief executive officer. She anticipated the wing would start housing patients by Aug. 10.
"The community has been big supporters of this project," she said, wearing a Life is Good brand T-shirt with the word "grow" beneath a single tulip.
The expansion and planned renovations for the original space are expected to cost about $5 million. So far, the organization has raised about $2.3 million and continues to gather donations, McKinney said.
The center offers a medical setting with a homelike feel with couches and stuffed recliners, television and artwork in its rooms. Shared community spaces offer people places to go and relax while family members are under the center's care.
Besides the extra rooms, the expansion includes administrative offices, an expanded kitchen, family living areas and community meeting spaces that are available for use free to any nonprofit group.
"This is Northwest Arkansas' hospice. It's not mine. It's not the board's," McKinney said, adding that awareness of the organization will increase as more people use the building.
Tonight's housewarming is scheduled from 5:30-7:30 p.m. and will help fill in some bare spots in the new addition with guests encouraged to bring gifts for the center.
The organization registered at places such as Best Buy, Lighting Emporium and other furniture and housing stores so the community can help accessorize the space.
Families who've used the hospice have already made some donations, including wildlife photos of birds in each of the rooms. McKinney said it's typical for families to stay involved after using the center.
"Once you experience the care of our center, your heart is stolen," she said.
To contact this reporter:
Northwest Arkansas, Pages 7, 9 on 07/30/2009
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