2020 Annual Report DEAR FRIENDS With the Coronavirus national emergency declaration, Northern Illinois Hospice’s priorities shifted. Leadership pivoted and narrowed its scope to worldwide pandemic infection control and keeping patients and staff safe. By April 2020, the first individual with both a terminal diagnosis and COVID-19 was admitted. Now, more than 400 days have passed and COVID-19 has become an unwanted, extended guest of the American experience. Northern Illinois Hospice continues to be diligent with its emergency management efforts. Our team has done an amazing job, demonstrating the commitment, expertise, and quality and safety practices for which we are known. Beyond COVID-19, additionally last year: • A Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan was secured, which helped with payroll for several weeks during the peak of the pandemic, and Health and Human Services (HHS) stimulus funds were received to offset COVID-related expenses. • A Capital Improvement Fund was established to From left: Northern Illinois Hospice Chief Executive plan for future needs of our building. The Fund’s first Officer Lisa Novak and Board of Directors President Jon Aldrich priority was to replace the old, worn out roof. • The Board of Directors unanimously voted to expand into DeKalb County, increasing Northern Illinois Hospice’s service area from five counties to six. This mission expansion currently is underway. • Community outreach continued, and we partnered with organizations like the Alzheimer’s Association to present webinars tailored to individuals caring for seriously ill loved ones at home. We also teamed up with local nursing and assisted living facilities to offer events like Puppy Parades to bring joy to socially-isolated residents. • Our website was redesigned to meet the evolving technology needs of prospective and current patients and families. Due to the pandemic, Joint Commission accreditation was tabled, but much progress has been made toward reaching this goal in 2021. Last year ended with Northern Illinois Hospice being named Best Hospice Organization in the Rockford Register Star’s The Best of the Rock River Valley competition. Providing the best possible end of life care has been our 42-year mission and the recognition certainly feels good. We thank you for your support. You always lift us, especially during such challenging times! For caring so deeply about our mission, for supporting our community, which benefits so greatly from Northern Illinois Hospice’s expert care, and for your generosity, we extend our deepest appreciation. Jon Aldrich, CPA, CFP® Lisa Novak Board President Chief Executive Officer 2 *All photos are reprinted with permission IMPACT Throughout 2020, our team at Northern Illinois Hospice were pros at pivoting and safely bringing outstanding care to those who need and depend on us. MISSION Volunteer Services navigated change like champs and 2020 Northern Illinois Hospice is a trusted goals were met. The volunteer focus shifted to pandemic community partner dedicated to: need such as mask making, knitting, crocheting, quilting lap • providing extraordinary and blankets and shawls, sewing adult bibs, and crafting fidget dignified care, comfort and sleeves and pads. Volunteers mailed caring cards to brighten compassion to individuals and days, and made caring calls to check-in, listen, and connect. families at the end of life; Longtime community supporters made regular donation drop • removing barriers to care offs to ensure that we had what we needed for patient and access so all eligible family holidays, birthdays, Veteran gift bags, and more. We individuals, regardless of ability to pay and payment found new ways to connect with patients– virtual farm and source, receive exceptional garden visits and virtual pet visits, including a robotic dog. care and support; and When the office cautiously opened once again, volunteers were re-oriented to protocols and began administrative tasks. • educating others about end-of-life planning Northern Illinois Hospice’s Bereavement Coordinator and hospice and provided grief counseling for individuals who were not only palliative care. dealing with the death of a loved one but with the reality of COVID-19. With social distancing and masking, the “Grief & Resilience” support group was held last fall at Anderson Japanese Gardens. This offered Northern Illinois Hospice VISION family members, as well as individuals in the community, the opportunity to embrace mindfulness and learn practices to Our vision is to be a local and national renew and replenish after grief and pandemic stresses. In April leader in hospice and palliative care 2020, “The Grief Café” opened its virtual doors on Facebook and to enrich end-of-life experiences through our quality, innovative to all who needed support and a listening ear. Additionally, approaches, and supportive education. bereavement support groups were held virtually on Zoom. CORE VALUES COMMUNITY COMPASSION EXCELLENCE GRATITUDE INTEGRITY Patient Midge QUALITY Anderson enjoyed time SERVICE with her robotic STEWARDSHIP puppy, “Ruffy.” VISION 3 DEAR DONORS Your thoughtfulness in 2020 lifted our spirits, helped keep us and our patients safe, and moved mission forward, despite a pandemic. Your generosity and handwritten notes were received and read with gratitude. You encouraged us to do even more for patients and families. In addition to the impact made through Volunteer Services and Bereavement noted on page 3, we would like to share a few more ways you and the Foundation Board and team grew mission last year. • “Wish Program” requests were filled, even while patients sheltered in place. A unique wish we received was for a small, wooden “picnic table” squirrel feeder to mount in a patient’s backyard. Watching Grant Funds Virtual the squirrelly antics made the patient smile each day. Reality Equipment • When in person building tours were not possible, Tours and Talks launched At the end of 2020, to home hospice care virtually. From the comfort of home, Northern Illinois Hospice or live with Alzheimer’s participants “toured” and learned Foundation received a disease. about how donor support funded $9,300 grant from the Northern Illinois Hospice programs, Dr. Louis & Violet Rubin We are excited to services, and care. Fund of the Community integrate this virtual Foundation of Northern reality technology into • In lieu of participating in our annual Illinois’ Community Grants our volunteer training Charity Golf Event and concert, Program. This grant curriculum as well as offer corporate and individual sponsors funded the purchase of it to community partners continued supporting us with donations virtual reality equipment and caregivers. and incredible goodwill! and software made by Embodied Labs. Volunteer Program • The Foundation Board of Directors Coordinator, Sheila established naming and commemorative Embodied Labs is a O’Leary, MAHS, shared, opportunities within our building as pioneer in immersive “This is a wonderful well as donor giving levels (beginning training for the healthcare and engaging tool that in 2021) to recognize donors’ annual field and collaborates with will help our volunteers generosity. healthcare professionals better understand what to carefully create our patients experience. Because of your support and goodwill last virtual reality training We are always looking year, patients’ and families’ lives were experiences. These for new and exciting brighter and better. Just think what we immersive experiences methods to train our can do together in 2021! Thank you all! are tailored to provide volunteers and know education on conditions that this training will and life experiences that create insights into how affect seniors, including we can best support our Kelly Dinsmore President, Susan Lundin what it is like to transition patients.” Northern Illinois Hospice Director of Northern Foundation Board Illinois Hospice Foundation 4 Gratitude Prompts Legacy for Remarkable Woman The expression “live the way you want to be and cared for Betty. When Betty’s condition remembered” describes Betty McDonald (1936- became life-limiting, Northern Illinois Hospice’s 2018). In her obituary, her sister-in-law described team brought Betty and Skip the gentle and Betty as “a resilient, intelligent, and resourceful compassionate care and support they both needed. woman for whom barriers existed to climb past. Betty was an athlete, religiously running seven “My daughters and I will forever be grateful to each miles a day, a natural golfer and tennis player. member of Betty’s care team,” said Skip. “For more Flowers seemed to bloom just to please her. Betty than 40 years, Northern Illinois Hospice has served was gorgeous, even after a day of digging in the this community, helped my friends and family and, dirt! She was an amazing cook. And elegant, so some day, they will help me too.” elegant. Show-stopping elegant!” In memory of Betty and in honor of the outstanding Betty was born Yi Yang Ye in Daejeon, South care each member of Betty’s care team provided, Korea on July 21, 1936. After surviving years of Skip generously began The Betty McDonald treacherous conditions in her beloved homeland Northern Illinois Hospice Employee Appreciation during WW-2 and the Korean War, Betty left her Program in 2018. Annually, by department, every family and language behind, immigrating to the Northern Illinois Hospice staff member is recognized United States. for their dedication to providing extraordinary, personalized end-of-life care. Philip “Skip” McDonald, a young Second Lieutenant, was headed to Vietnam when he met Betty at Skip’s generosity deepened even further when Fort Carson in Colorado Springs. They wrote each he joined the Legacy Society by letting us know other daily, and when Skip returned from war, they Northern Illinois Hospice Foundation is included in married in 1970 and moved home to Rockford. his estate plans. The years flew by as they built their lives together. When Betty’s sister died of cancer in Korea, Betty Generous Rockfordians like Skip want to ensure and Skip became parents, adopting their two young that Northern Illinois Hospice keeps serving our nieces.