Appointed for a Sacred Assignment
Aloha!
Saint Marianne Cope and six Sisters of St. Francis sailed from Syracuse to Hawaii with a singular purpose: to serve God in a new way by providing care to those stricken with Hansen’s disease. They were pioneers, the forerunners of today’s modern hospice care.
Not having an understanding of infection control and disease prevention procedures, many in Hawaii succumbed to the disease. They dreaded being diagnosed and ostracized, separated from their families. Even little children were coerced to live apart from their parents and siblings.
The Sisters brought light into that dark world. Today, when patients are diagnosed with a life-limiting condition, they can also feel forsaken, forgotten, all alone. Suddenly, their world is turned upside down.
The St. Francis Hospice team of physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers, health aides, spiritual care specialists, and specially trained volunteers surround patients and families with the same compassion that Saint Marianne Cope and the Sisters offered to those with Hansen’s disease.
We provide hospice patients with the best quality of life, and never forget that they are first and foremost brothers and sisters created in the image of God who deserve the utmost respect and attention. We restore and maintain their dignity, and offer them peace and joy, even in the midst of circumstances that can be trying and frustrating for patients and families. We lend a listening ear, an open mind, and most of all, a compassionate heart.
This month, November, we are celebrating National Hospice and Palliative Care Month by honoring all of our hospice team members as well as the others on the St. Francis Healthcare System team who touch the lives of our patients and families, either directly or indirectly, to bring light into their lives. We celebrated with our partners on our Liliha campus, with employees at our inpatient hospice facility in Nuuanu, and hospice employees at the Sullivan Care Center in West Oahu. Click to see photos of our events
We believe God has called us for this purpose. With an abundance of thanksgiving, we consider it a privilege to be appointed for this sacred assignment, to successfully help patients comfortably transition to the next stage in life’s continuum.
We are here for Hawaii’s families. Our hearts are present, and like Saint Marianne, we are “hungry for the work” to serve Hawaii’s people.
Mahalo for allowing us to serve you and your family.
Jerry Correa
Chief Executive Officer