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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 15, 2005

Senators Browne and Wonderling Help Secure Grant for St. Luke's Hospital
Will Help Pay For The Hospice House Building Fund

State Senators Pat Browne, R-16th District, and Rob Wonderling, R-24th District, presented a check for $100,000 Thursday, September 15 to Frank Ford, president of Visiting Nurse Association of St. Luke's, at a press conference at St. Luke's VNA Hospice. 

The grant will go to help support the new Hospice House building fund. 

"Everyone involved with this project is excited about turning a long-range vision into an enduring reality that will positively impact our community for many years to come," Ford said. "We are grateful to Senators Browne and Wonderling for their support in helping to bring this exciting new Hospice House to life." 

Later this fall, St. Luke's Hospital plans to open its new Hospice House – a 14-bed hospice facility located on Black River Road in Lower Saucon Township – which will offer terminally ill patients and their families a homelike atmosphere for end-of-life care. 

"I commend St. Luke's Hospital on its desire to provide compassionate care to both the patient and their families in their most difficult times," Browne said. "Dealing with terminal illness and life-threatening conditions is never an easy situation for anyone, but the Hospice House helps to make the patients and their families as comfortable as possible. This grant will help St. Luke's to achieve its goal of creating a new, bigger hospice facility."

Hospice of the Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) of St. Luke's cares for children and adults with terminal illnesses, such as end-stage cancer; renal, pulmonary, cardiac or neurological diseases; end-stage dementia; AIDS and life-threatening birth defects. 

It treats the physical, spiritual and emotional needs of patients; takes place in the patient's home, in nursing homes and assisted living facilities and in home-like hospice facilities; emphasizes the use of palliative care – making patients as free of pain and comfortable as possible so that they can enjoy the time that remains and provides comfort and support for members of the patient's family during the patient's illness and for 13 months following a patient's death.  

For more information, contact Senator Browne's Allentown District Office. 

CONTACT:

Matt Moyer
(610) 821-8468