LOVELAND, Colo. (Dec. 17, 2021) – Beginning Jan. 11, inpatient hospice care for patients at McKee Medical Center will be available through Banner Hospice of Northern Colorado.
Hospice care is a philosophy of care that provides specialized health services for people nearing the end of life. People who have a terminal illness or have decided not to pursue further aggressive care and want to focus on quality of life and comfort can benefit from hospice.
Dr. C.L. Johnson, medical director of Banner Hospice of Northern Colorado, said general inpatient hospice care is provided for pain control or management of other serious symptoms that can’t feasibly be provided in another setting such as the patient’s home.
“Our care teams will provide symptom management with a focus on dignity and support services for the patient and family members,” she said.
There will be no designated hospice unit which means the patient entering hospice service can remain in their current room. The McKee nursing staff will provide supportive care and follow the hospice plan of care for the patient.
Banner Hospice of Northern Colorado is an entity of Banner Hospice providing end-of-life care throughout Northern Colorado. In addition to the hospital setting, the team provides care in patient homes, independent or assisted living facilities and skilled nursing homes. Care is provided 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
This change marks a transition from Pathways Hospice, which has provided hospice services at McKee for more than 20 years.
“On behalf of the many families and patients at McKee that Pathways served, plus our own Banner team members who worked with Pathways during care transitions, we would like to thank them for the partnership,” said Margo Karsten, president of Banner Health’s Western Region.
About Banner Health
Headquartered in Arizona, Banner Health is one of the largest nonprofit health care systems in the country. The system owns and operates 30 acute-care hospitals, Banner Health Network, Banner – University Medicine, academic and employed physician groups, long-term care centers, outpatient surgery centers and an array of other services including Banner Urgent Care, family clinics, home care and hospice services, pharmacies and a nursing registry. Banner Health is in six states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada, and Wyoming. For more information, visit www.BannerHealth.com.
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