Texas Medical Center — Houston, Texas   —   TMC NEWS
  Vol. 25, No. 9 Previous Table of Contents Home Next May 15, 2003 

Hospice Merger Completed

Full implementation of the merger between Houston Hospice and The Hospice at the Texas Medical Center is now complete, Raymond Galvin, chairman of the board of the new organization, announced April 21. The merger of Houston’s two largest nonprofit hospices was effective late last fall, and completion of all operational activities has been in process since that date.

“Foremost among our concerns during this time of transition has been ensuring that the highest quality of hospice care and support is being provided to our patients and their families. We are confident that we have met this goal,” said Galvin.

The new entity resulting from the combination of the two facilities is the Houston Hospice & Palliative Care System. This nonprofit corporation will work through four subsidiary organizations:

  • Houston Hospice will provide end-of-life care to patients in their homes or residences, and will provide support, including bereavement support, to family members. Hospice care for children is provided through the Butterfly Program.
  • The Hospice at the Texas Medical Center will provide inpatient and respite care at the 26-bed inpatient facility on Holcombe Boulevard.
  • The Houston Center for Palliative Care will offer consulting services in symptom- and pain-management for individuals not yet ready for hospice.
    A division of this organization will be the Palliative Care Institute, which will provide education to health care and human service professionals and the community.
  • The Houston Palliative Care Physicians Group will be established to meet the regulatory and legal requirements for physicians to practice and implement hospice and palliative care philosophies.

The Hospice at the Texas Medical Center and Houston Hospice have been serving the Houston area since 1980. Hospice services include pain and symptom management, and emotional and spiritual support to patients with a terminal illness. These services are provided by an interdisciplinary team of professionals and volunteers.

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