About – Hospice of Anchorage

About Us

Who We Are

Hospice of Anchorage has served the greater Anchorage community since 1980. It is our privilege to be able to truly know the people we care for, learning what is important, and honoring the path each person chooses to take at the end of their lives. Our Hospice of Anchorage team is proud to support and guide our clients and their families in a way that honors and engages the richness of their lives. We focus our efforts on a spirit of service as we work to help people understand the unknowns of this chapter of life. We are humbled to partner with you, as we bring our fellow Alaskans purpose, meaning, and hope.

Why We
Are Different

Hospice of Anchorage is the oldest and first Hospice to serve the Anchorage community. We were incorporated as Anchorage Hospice in 1980 and are licensed as a nonprofit Volunteer Hospice organization.

We are the only one of this kind serving the Municipality of Anchorage. There are crucial differences between a volunteer and Medicare-certified Hospice.

Here are some of the significant differences between the two:

Volunteer Hospice:

We respond to any request for assistance but can best help when we are asked to provide guidance and support earlier in the course of a progressive life-limiting illness.
Care is provided by a team of professionals and trained volunteers, and includes emotional-spiritual support, information, education, in-home practical assistance
and companioning, assessment, and coordination of
community resources.
The staff provides consultation, education, and support
visits during regular working hours M-F. We make referrals to Medicare Hospice or other home care providers and provide volunteers when needs increase.
Supervision of medical care remains with the individual’s provider.
A referral/admission order from a health care provider is
not needed.
There is no fee for care.

Medicare Certified Hospice:

Generally, the person is no longer pursuing curative treatment, does not want to return to the hospital, and most likely has 6 months to live.
Care is provided in the person’s place of residence by RCN Case Managers, Chaplain, Medical Director, etc.
Supervision of medical care can remain with the individual’s provider or can transfer to the Hospice’s Medical Director.
Medicare does have specific medical indicators/criteria that must be present to qualify for the Medicare Hospice Benefit (A physician must sign a “Certification of Terminal Illness”).
A referral order is needed from a healthcare provider.
Generally requires a payment source.

Given these differences, one can see how Hospice of Anchorage is able to serve our clients in many ways that a Medicare Hospice cannot and we are the only volunteer hospice to be able to do so in the Anchorage Municipality. The rules and regulations that govern a volunteer hospice are much different and somewhat less stringent than those that govern a Medicare Hospice which in turn, allow us to be more creative in the ways in which we meet our client’s needs.

Hospice of Anchorage Board of Directors

Paloma Hawn

President

Ariel

Burr

Kristina Beckstead

Vice President

Alyssa Marshall

Treasurer

Kathleen

Bugbee

Davyn Williams

Secretary

Rachel

Wixon

Lacy

Kaufman

Chris

Barraza

If you are interested in serving as a board member, please CONTACT us

Hospice of Anchorage Employees

The amazing team behind
our non-profit

Susie Smith

Executive Director

Stefanie LeBarre

Clinical Program Manager

Ann Corbett

Operations Manager

Tracy Israelson

Volunteer Program Coordinator

Carrie Chisholm

Administrative Program Assistant

Tina Knolmayer

Nurse Educator

Community Partners

Bailey's Furniture

Credit Union 1

Fashion Pact

Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority

First National Bank of Alaska

Legacy Funeral Homes

Kroger/Fred Meyer

First Congregational Church

Municipality of Anchorage

State of Alaska

HomeWell Senior Care

United Way of Anchorage

Pick.Click.Give

Alaska Regional Hospital

Quintillion

Carr Foundation

Alaska Community Foundation

Rasmusson Foundation

M. E. Webber Foundation

Trick or Treat in the Heat

Katmai Oncology

Conoco Phillips

Lotto Alaska

Chugach Electric

Providence Health and Services

Odom Corporation

Aurora Integrated Oncology

Integrity Environmental LLC

Carpenters Union
Local #1281

Alaska State
Council of the Arts

Location

2612 E Northern Lights Blvd Anchorage, AK 99508
(We're in the brown house between Wendler Middle School behind the First Congregational Church)

Connect

Phone: 907-561-5322

Fax: 907-561-0334

info@hospiceofanchorage.org

Hours of Operation

General Inquiries:

Mon - Thurs 11 AM - 4 PM

Clients & Caregivers:

Mon - Fri 8 AM - 4 PM

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