GOOD SAMARITAN HOSPICE OF PITTSBURGH

Good Samaritan Hospice (GSH) remains dedicated to excellent patient/family care, ethical practice in the management of funds and community activities contributing to improved education and understanding of quality of life at the end of life. The foundation of hospice is comfort care-managing pain and symptoms-to improve their overall quality of life while nearing the end of their journey. GSH provided care to 1,290 patients and their families in the community by providing 54,208 visits in their homes. Good Samaritan Hospice had 65 overall active volunteers. In addition, there are 3 volunteers who are active in the Angels on Call program for Good Samaritan Hospice. Angels on Call is a program which provides volunteers to sit with those patients at the End of Life. Volunteers offer anything from scripture to hymns, and simple companionship. The active volunteers participated in bereavement, clerical, patient service, inpatient unit support, and special events. Initial and ongoing training was provided to the volunteers who enrolled to be a part of this program. Other volunteers were able to offer help from home by making "memory quilts" for surviving family members out of personal clothing and fabric special to the deceased. We also experienced a great interest in the "Veteran's Blankets" which are given to those who serve in a branch of the military. The greatest volunteer requests we receive are from caregivers/family members trying to care for their loved ones at home. Caregivers may need to take a break to go to a doctor's appointment or get groceries. Some of our volunteers also visit or call family members at home after a patient passed away to comfort them in a time of bereavement. Hospice has several volunteers with certified pet therapy animals that visit families and offer emotional support. Volunteers also assist with office functions such as filing, organizing, creating admission packets, processing mail, creating thank you baskets for clinicians, and making condolence calls to those who have lost a loved one. Good Samaritan Hospice volunteers played a part in special events, meetings, and activities held throughout the year. Several of the special events included a volunteer recruitment day in Monroeville Community Park, where volunteer opportunities were discussed with 250 participants during a 4 hour event. Another recruitment event was held in Cranberry Township over the course of three days with over 5,000 participants. Education included on-site interviews for volunteers and opportunities offered by Good Samaritan Hospice. Other events included multiple youth bereavement events, memorial services, Holiday Grief Workshop, and a Memorial butterfly release. Over the course of the past fiscal year, Good Samaritan Hospice volunteers provided a total of 1,779 hours of service with a dollar value of $61,891 non-patient related volunteer hours totaled 115 hours of service. Free grief support groups were offered in Beaver, Butler and Allegheny County for those bereaved of our services and for those in the community. There were a total of 6 grief support sessions in all three communities which provided service to 16 participants. The Holiday Workshop was held on November 19, 2024 supported 20 participants. The Family Support Services Team offered over 95 hours of time to prepare, schedule and implement the event. Good Samaritan hosted two afternoon of remembrance memorial programs on April 26, 2025 at the Middlesex office location and May 31, 2025 at Concordia Villa St. Joseph chapel. Volunteers offered 56 hours of their time to prepare, plan and hold these events which served 17 family members. Hospice staff members provided education and information at no cost to over 1,837 individuals and their family members regarding their disease state, concerns, healthcare wishes and hospice and palliative care insurance options within the counties served, prior to their decision regarding care. It is estimated GSH tallied over 918 hours providing hospice information and education. Total donations and sponsorships during the fiscal year equated to $47,117. Additional indirect contributions have been provided to 501(c)(3) member hospital systems at a total of $6,000,000 to help expand the like-minded mission within the geographical communities that we serve. Donations given to local organizations included: $25,000 to Knoch School District for Wellness Center renovations, $5,000 to Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, over $4,200 of furniture was donated to Blessing Board and The Lighthouse Foundation, and other organizations that were supported include: Concordia at the Orchard Applefest $282, CLM Foundation Golf Outing and Spring Fling Luncheon $406, St. John's Lutheran Church $100, Alzheimer's Association $50, and Butler County Chamber of Commerce $50. The following local organizations were supported through sponsorships during the fiscal year: Alle Kiski Strong Chamber $150, Butler Health System Foundation $1,000, Community Health Center $1,504, Concordia Lutheran Ministries Foundation - Charitable Fund $4,000, Heritage Valley Health System Foundation $1,250, North Catholic High School Tuition Assistance Fund $40, Redeemer Lutheran School $188, River's Fury Softball $250, and The Lighthouse Foundation $3,400. Employees of Good Samaritan Hospice were given the opportunity to serve the community by participating in several Mission Events organized by Concordia Care Network dba Concordia Community Support Services. These are part of an ongoing Mission Committee that was formed to organize opportunities for employees to serve the community. Here are the Mission Events that GSH took part in during the 2024-2025 fiscal year. St. Luke Lutheran Church Cabot/Crossroads Mission/Central Westmoreland Habitat for Humanity Servant Day and House Build: Sept 2024, approx. 205 volunteer hours given by Concordia team over the two days. Toys for Tots Collection Drive for the chapters in Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Greene, and Washington counties: Nov 2024. The Lighthouse Foundation Annual Toy Shoppe: Dec 2024, 10 volunteers helped sort and wrap gifts and load cars. City Rescue Mission Collection Drive: April 2025, donated 200 hygiene items to support shelter needs. The Lighthouse Foundation Collection Drive to support Lighthouse transitional housing needs: Apr 2025, 50 laundry supplies items were donated. These donations, sponsorships and mission events are some of the ways we serve God by providing for the needs of His people.

GSH also offers Inpatient care for help in the assessment and management of acute, complex, or uncontrolled symptoms such as pain or shortness of breath. The Inpatient Unit in Wexford, PA focuses on caring for patients with high acuity that cannot be managed at home, such as complicated delivery mechanisms i.e., subcutaneous, frequent dose titration, and skilled nursing care with frequent monitoring can be provided in the general inpatient setting. GSH provided this level of care to 283 patients and their families during this fiscal year end; 4,278 visits were provided to patients in the Inpatient Unit. The hospice staff are available in this specific setting around the clock to consult and provide support to families as they journey through the progression of the disease. Short-term respite care is also provided by nursing staff to alleviate the burden on family caregivers. Good Samaritan Hospice had 65 overall active volunteers. The active volunteers participated in bereavement, clerical, patient service, inpatient unit support, and special events. These volunteers visit patients, read them stories, create craft projects, play music, sing, and provide pet therapy visits. In addition, they provide spiritual support through prayer, singing hymns, scripture reading, and simply offer a quiet, calm presence during the last few hours of life. A team of volunteers worked diligently at beautifying the flower gardens at our inpatient unit in Wexford, PA. The patients and families have thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful landscape and flower arrangements. Over each holiday season, our volunteers graciously help decorate our inpatient units making them feel welcoming for families and visitors. Volunteers routinely bake treats and cook meals for our inpatient units; these homecooked meals are appreciated by families and visitors. We also have a team of pet therapy volunteers who visit patients and family members in our inpatient unit. Students preparing to become Registered Nurses and Licensed Practical Nurses were also offered educational opportunities at our Wexford, PA inpatient location. Students from the Community College of Beaver County (CCBC) and Heritage Valley School of Nursing completed approximately 113 clinical hours with Good Samaritan Hospice this fiscal year. These opportunities allowed for hands-on training and experience in a skilled setting.