Oswego County Hospice has been recognized once again by Strategic Healthcare Programs (SHP) as a “Premier Performer.” The honor comes from achieving a high satisfaction rating among families and caregivers.

More than 1,000 hospice providers were rated for their service and Oswego County’s score ranked in the top 5% of all eligible SHP clients for 2021. This marks the fourth “Premier Performer” award the program has received in the last six years.

“The SHP awards were created to recognize hospice providers that consistently provide superior services to families and caregivers of patients who receive hospice care,” said Oswego County Legislature Chairman James Weatherup, District 9. “The compassion and dedication of our hospice staff clearly demonstrate that patients and families are their number one priority and we’re all very proud of what they’ve accomplished.”

For the last 33 years, Oswego County Hospice has provided comprehensive ‘end-of-life’ support services to patients and families based on their personal beliefs and choices.

“Now, due to nursing staff shortages, we have had to do the unthinkable and close this program,” Weatherup continued. “This was not an easy decision, but one we made with hope. Hope that, at some point, if things turn around, we will be able to bring hospice back to Oswego County.”

The county first announced its plans to close the hospice program in early June. Health officials filed the closure plan with New York State Department of Health (DOH) on June 22 and received notice that it was approved the following week.

Other county officials agree that the hospice program is a beneficial service for residents and the decision to close was difficult.

“We’ve come to a point where, due mainly to salary issues, our nurses have been resigning and taking other positions elsewhere,” said Oswego County Legislator James Karasek, District 22, chairman of the Legislature’s Human Services Committee. “It’s very difficult to compete with the private sector and, in some cases, other counties.

“The real tragedy is that we are no longer able to take on new patients and offer them support during their difficult days,” Karasek added. “The safety of our patients is always the number one concern, and without staff, this becomes an issue. We all hope the stars will soon align so we can save this program and get back to providing hospice care to those in need.”

Oswego County Hospice is currently being operated with other staff within the health department. As always, and throughout this transition, they remain committed to supporting the patients and families in their care until the program closure date on Nov. 30. At that point, clients will be transitioned to other care services. Bereavement services will continue for hospice families until Dec. 31, 2023.

“We are all saddened by this move,” said Oswego County Interim Public Health Director Vera Dunsmoor. “The program is especially close to my heart as I worked in hospice care for more than 10 years – it was truly a calling for me. I found that people who work in hospice care are compassionate people. They develop close relationships with patients and their families, which helps give a special meaning to each day.”

Dunsmoor also said that hospice staff are passionate about the program and dedicated to the people they serve. “It’s more than just ‘a job’ and they are grieving its loss,” she said. “Our residents still need this service and we’re grateful that Hospice of Central New York and Jefferson County Hospice are helping us through this difficult transition.”

In July, Oswego County Medical Director Christina Liepke, M.D. sent a letter to health care providers notifying them of the upcoming changes. “We want to thank all the providers that have assisted us in the care of our patients and families over the years,” she wrote. “We appreciate the working relationships that have been established during that time.”

She added, “I would also like to thank all of the Oswego County Hospice staff, who worked so hard to continue providing compassionate care despite our staffing shortages over the last few years, as well as all of the families who granted us the privilege of caring for their loved ones over the years.”

Dr. Liepke also expressed sadness at this turn of events. “We have offered hospice services for our community for more than three decades,” she said. “It is in those darkest of times that you get to see humanity at its finest. We hope there will be an outpouring of support for the program from the nursing community that will enable us to continue this good work.”

Oswego County Hospice Supervising Public Health Nurse Becky Mackey will maintain the program’s bereavement services for patients’ families until Dec. 31, 2023.

“Normally, once a program has permission from the state to close, it usually occurs within six months,” said Miller. “We felt it was important to offer our services to families for the entire time that they would have received if the program had remained open. We’re grateful that our Legislators and the state all agreed.”

Oswego County Hospice has been one of the top-rated hospice programs in the country. In addition to the “Premier Performer” awards from SHP, the program was also named to the New York State Department of Health’s 2019 Public Health Works! Honor Roll for its outstanding commitment to public health.

Until further notice, new referrals can reach out to Hospice of Central New York at 315-634-1100 for hospice services within all of Oswego County. Northern Oswego County residents can call Jefferson County Hospice at 315-788-7323.

For more information about this closure process, call Oswego County Hospice at 315-349-8259.