July 31, 2002
This week's Bulletin was written by Lynn LaBreche Hamilton.
THIS WEEK'S MEETING
Our off-site meeting this week began with a tour of the San Diego Hospice. We then met in the multi-purpose room where President Gary Green related the how Hospice helped his family through the recent loss of his father.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Ø Our District Governor, Larry Scott, will be visiting our club on August 21.
Ø Submissions for Rotarian of the 2001-2002 year should be sent to Gary at ggreen@sdcommerical.com. Only 5 nominations have been received so far so get those votes in!
Ø August 7 Lou Scanlon will speak on the Security of the Super Bowl. After that meeting, a brief meeting of anyone interested in joining the committee for the November 15 golf tournament in Coronado will be held. Corporate Sponsor ideas are in need as are 2 Super Bowl tickets!
Ø Gary reminded us once again to bring guests!
FINES! FINES? FINES!?!
No fines today!
SPEAKER
As a follow-up to the tour by Erin Jones through the impressive Hospice facility, including a stop at the lovely chapel and Tribute Garden, Director of Development, Blair Blum, gave us a fascinating insight into the mission of the San Diego Hospice.
How many of us have thought about our own death? Hospice is here to offer a “safe death”, comfortable death, self-determined life closure and effective grieving” for family members. Blair demonstrated how this mission is accomplished through touching stories of several patients. The story of the boy who asked for a ride in a helicopter and to die on the beach demonstrated Hospice’s effort to respond to a patient’s last wishes. Hospice suggested a ride in the helicopter over the beach, since actually dying there would not be safe. When the day came, as the helicopter flew over the beach with the boy, he saw that the lifeguards had carved a greeting to him in the sand.
San Diego Hospice was established following an initial 18.5 million dollar grant from Joan Kroc in 1989. In August of 1991 the first patient was admitted and today there are 478 patients throughout San Diego. With a goal to allow ill patients to die in their own homes, hospice has but 24 beds, used to stabilize patients on pain medicine prior to returning them to their homes. One of the few education and research hospices in the nation, all medical students from UCSD take training in pain management at the Hospice. With a 28 million dollar budget, San Diego Hospice is funded primarily through Medicare and welcomes anyone in need of their help.
As a personal note, your Bulletin writer was reluctant to visit this place. However, when I discovered that I was the Bulletin writer, I decided to go. My concerns were proven to be quite wrong. What a meaningful and memorable experience it was!
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