Four Seasons Compassion for Life launches foundation to fund quality care during serious illness

From a press release:

Four Seasons Compassion for Life, Western North Carolina’s leading, community-based
hospice and palliative care provider, announces the launch of the Four
Seasons for Life Foundation. The philanthropic nonprofit is charged with
securing the resources to maintain quality care during serious, chronic, or
life-limiting illness in Henderson and Buncombe counties and across the
region.

“Personal independence is a core value of mountain people from all walks of
life,” says executive director Loretta Shelton. “Four Seasons is one of the
last community-based hospice and palliative care organizations in the
state, if not the southeast.”

The Four Seasons Compassion for Life Foundation ensures the future of
community-based health care for individuals and families in western North
Carolina who face chronic, life limiting conditions

That’s why it’s crucial to ensure the non-profit continues to provide
independent quality care during serious, chronic illness that is unique to
Henderson and Buncombe Counties, and all of Western North Carolina, says David
Reeves, the foundation’s first chairman of the board and a respected
business development and advisory board strategist.

“There’s no way you can maintain this independence without some outside
funding,” he says.

A national award-winning, hospice and palliative care industry leader, Four
Seasons Compassion for Life maintains a consistent track record of reducing
costs while improving patient outcomes during serious, life limiting
illness. With benchmark patient and family satisfaction ratings, Four
Seasons community palliative care model (CPC) removes barriers to patient
care due to location, socio-economics, ethnicity or minority status, or
fragility of medical condition.

“If you go to other places, you encounter a cookie cutter approach on how
to handle care,” says Reeves. “At Four Seasons, there are a lot of extra
things they do as standard practice they simply aren’t compensated for, as
Medicaid does not cover the actual costs of our patient and family care
services.”

The community based non-profit’s services extend beyond palliative and
hospice care basics to include bereavement services, veterans’ programs,
community education, and children’s grief support.

“The shortfall of revenue that Four Seasons has now has to come from
someplace else,” he says. “Hopefully we can raise enough money as a
foundation that we can invest the money and use the income to help fund
hospice in the future.”

To meet this need, the Foundation leadership has assembled a prestigious
founding board of directors. In addition to Reeves, members include: Ruth
Birge, Dick Burns, Caroline Gunther, Lynn Penny, Cindy Schirmer, Sandy
Williams, and Nancy Bouvet, all of Hendersonville; Mary Coffey of Flat
Rock; Sherri Lynn Haggard of Fletcher; Henry Johnson of Laurel Park; David
Rhew of Horseshoe; and Robert Seiler of Saluda.

Shelton and Reeves agree that the Four Seasons tradition of co-creation
will provide a necessary advantage to boost the growth, productivity and
create the assets needed to assure the future of Four Seasons for future
generations.

Chris Comeaux, CEO, says that given the many challenges the government
continues to throw at healthcare providers, the Four Seasons Operating
Board remains focused on policy, with little time left for funding
considerations.

“For example, out of an hour and half meeting we might – if we were lucky –
have five minutes remaining to talk about fundraising. Now having a highly
competent, high powered Foundation Board which focuses on nothing except
fund raising is a blessing. Their talent, expertise and time is dedicated
exclusively to this major priority,” he says.

Four Seasons added “Co-Creating the Care Experience” as its tag line in
2009. Co-creation refers to a business practice of creating solutions
within communities through collaboration with those served. Though the term
was coined in the early 2000s, with frequent references to innovations
adopted by the Nike(TM) brand, co-creation with the community is a
commitment Four Seasons has honored since it was first incorporated in
1979.

Shelton believes that co-creation extends to partners within the community
who support the Four Seasons Compassion for Life Foundation. Secured
funding ensures that care choices are uniquely created to meet community
needs well into the future.

One of the keys to economic viability in any region is quality health care,
she says. An investment in Four Seasons ensures that every person who lives
and works in our area has access to the care they deserve. The impact of
that commitment improves short and long term economic outlooks for the
region, she says.

“Our family, friends and neighbors will get the care they need during
serious, life altering illness without regard to economic status, age, or
other exclusionary criteria,” she says. “Highly qualified workers will be
attracted by the knowledge that their needs will be met should the
unthinkable occur.”

Plus, faced with a rapidly changing, unpredictable health care future, the
idea of neighbor helping neighbor resonates with people from all walks of
life who call these mountains “home,” says Shelton.

“Co-creating philanthropic investment opportunities within our community
will ensure that this high quality of care remains available for those with
serious illness, and it will remain available whether or not the individual
can pay,” she says.

Four Seasons’ patients are already receiving the benefit of the new
Foundation’s commitment, says Comeaux.

About Four Seasons Compassion For Life

Four Seasons Compassion for Life – fourseasonscfl.org – is a
501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a dedicated team of health care
professionals, social workers, spiritual care professionals and volunteers
deeply committed to its mission of “Co-Creating the Care Experience.”
Nationally known for its leadership in innovative, quality hospice and
palliative care services, and serving western North Carolina, the agency is
a former Circle of Life award recipient from the American Medical
Association.

About Four Seasons Compassion for Life Foundation

The Four Seasons Compassion for Life Foundation is a non-profit
organization dedicated to the philanthropic support of the Four Seasons
mission and building legacy through charitable giving of individuals,
families, community organizations, and corporate partners. The Foundation
commits to secure a sustainable future for quality, independent care for
those facing chronic, serious or life-limiting illness in Western North
Carolina.