Barbecue, music and wide open space supports a hospice program

story and photos by Linda Kaufenberg

Willow Creek Farms in Liberty, Okla,, was the site of the Annual Fall BBQ Dinner for St. Edward Mercy Hospice. The dinner was hosted by St. Edward Mercy Foundation. Guests were greeted at their vehicles and shuttled to the ranch house where tables were placed in the large back yard.

Barbeque plus all the fixin’s were available to eat. Entertainment was provided by the Crossroads Band. The silent auction included dinners in people’s homes plus a raft trip.

Hospice doesn’t seek to extend life nor hasten death, but focuses on the comfort and quality of life. Hospice care for an individual with a terminal illness may be provided in the person’s home or in a facility. The new hospice unit at St. Edward opened in July 2008 and saw more than 300 patients in its first year.

"We could take care of more patients," said Dr. Joseph Chan, Mercy Hospice and Palliative Care medical director. "For the first year, this was a decent number."

According to the foundation literature, a volunteer board of directors governs the Mercy Foundation. The board is involved in fund raising and investing and transferring funds for identified needs.

“The St. Edward Mercy Foundation was first incorporated in 1973 as the St. Edward Development Corporation. The first president of the newly formed organization was William R. Walker. With the help of many volunteers, the Mercy Foundation has raised millions of dollars over the years, for the benefit of the St. Edward Health System,” according to the St. Edward Web site.