Dedication, related events to be held in
advance of facility’s opening this fall
INDIANAPOLIS
– A long-awaited heartfelt dream held by many is about to transform into a
glowing reality on the city’s south side.
Construction
of Franciscan Hospice House is nearing completion, and Franciscan St. Francis
Health will unveil it to the public at an open house 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday,
Sept. 19. Visitors can tour the property and meet the people who will staff the
facility, located at 8414 Franciscan Lane on the hospital’s Indianapolis campus.
One of the hallmark
opening events will be the formal blessing and dedication of Franciscan Hospice
House, Thursday, Sept. 17. Leading the ceremony will be the Rev. Monsignor
Joseph F. Schaedel of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis; Sister Jane Marie Klein,
chairwoman of Franciscan Alliance Board of Trustees; James Callaghan, MD,
president and CEO for Franciscan St. Francis; and Robert J. Brody, senior vice
president and chief operating of Franciscan Alliance Ambulatory Services.
Building of
the facility got under way in June 2014 after a groundbreaking ceremony. It
marked the start of a project envisioned for more than a decade, followed a
thoughtful fundraising initiative steered by Franciscan Alliance
Foundation Central Indiana.
Over the course of the campaign, more than $10.3 million was raised by matching
contributions from Franciscan Alliance, the generosity of the Sisters of St.
Francis of Perpetual Adoration, employee-giving, corporate partners and support
from the community at large.
The campaign
continues with the goal of raising more than $2 million to establish an
endowment to sustain Franciscan Hospice House well into the future.
Here’s what
will be available when Franciscan Hospice House opens to the public in early
November:
·
12 private rooms for patients and
families (with a build-out potential of four additional rooms)
·
Large common area for families
·
Well-equipped kitchen with dining
room
·
Chapel and prayer garden
·
High-quality,
holistic medical care for all Hospice House-qualified patients and support for
their families
“One of our core values is that the gift of
life is so valued and each person is cared for with respect, dignity, joy,
fairness and compassion,” said Dr. Callaghan. “Whether through the miracle of
childbirth, nursing a patient back to health, or caring for them during the
dying process -- our staff carry on Christ’s healing and teaching ministries in
our Franciscan tradition.”
Franciscan Hospice House complements the
exceptional home, health hospice and palliative care services
that Franciscan St. Francis Health has provided
to 4,000 families in south-central Indiana for more than two decades.
