Harbor Hospice House of Lake Charles Groundbreaking Ceremony

Harbor Hospice delivers on their vision of reshaping palliative care with the construction of their newest Harbor Hospice House Inpatient Facility in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The groundbreaking ceremony is Friday, February 22, at 11:00 AM. Harbor Hospice is pleased to announce Mayor Randy Roach and the Lake Charles Chamber of Commerce will be in attendance. The facility is slated to open this fall and will provide world class facilities coupled with Harbor’s unique method of aggressive treatment.

“This is something incredibly special,” confides Chief Administration Officer Darran Dollarhide. “We want to grab the world’s attention and shine a spotlight on Lake Charles to highlight what hospice should be. There are many preconceived notions that we work tirelessly every day to dispel. What we are creating in Lake Charles is an example of not only what hospice should be, but what all health care in America should be.”

Harbor Hospice’s uniqueness is not only demonstrated in the level of passion of their care, but in the way they view and treat each patient. Darran points out that Harbor’s vision is to treat each individual as a whole person, not just as their illness. “The treatment is really specific to the diagnosis, and we go above and beyond to minister and comfort each individual and their entire family.”

With the Harbor Hospice House of Lake Charles, patients will no longer need to be transported to various hospitals. Also, when symptoms cannot be managed at home, or when families are having difficulty, the Harbor Hospice House Inpatient Facility will provide care in a warm, homelike setting. “It really is home away from home but so much more,” reflects Darran. “We provide all the services of a hospital, and our facility has been specifically designed with all the necessary equipment for crisis care.”

The first of many slated for construction in the next 5 years, the Lake Charles Harbor Hospice House boasts 18 private patient suites, 4 isolation rooms, a chapel, fully staffed kitchen, family gathering rooms, guest cafe and additional space for outpatient services and administrative offices. The over 25,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility will offer symptom crisis management services and 24/7 skilled nursing and allied health care staff in a remarkably comfortable and contemporary setting.

“This is really a hospital setting crossed with a Hilton Hotel,” reveals Darran. “It’s just one more thing that makes Harbor unique. It’s taking compassionate care to the next level.” Each Harbor Hospice House is composed of beautiful architecture and serene decor to create a soothing, comfortable and reflective atmosphere to promote patient healing and care. “Each individual patient is also surrounded by a team of highly qualified and caring professionals,” relates Darran. “From treating physicians, nurses, certified nurse aides, social workers, spiritual counselors, medical social workers and trained volunteers, the whole team will be here under one roof with easy access for after hours, weekends and holidays. We surround our patients with the best, so their quality of life can be the best.”

At a time when many companies are scaling back, Harbor is excited and feels blessed to be expanding. “With job’s creation and how well patients will be cared for, this is an excellent opportunity for Louisiana, but it is also an even more wonderful opportunity for Harbor. We feel that it allows us to reset the thinking of what hospice, palliative care and health care in general can be, and it also enables us to touch the lives of so many more people. At a time when health care is in the spotlight politically, we want to refocus and get back to the basics of helping and healing people physically, emotionally and spiritually. This is who we are, and this is what we are bringing to the people of Lakes Charles.”

For more information, including opportunities for employment and volunteering, please visit http://www.harborhospice.com.