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St. Edward Mercy Hospice
Hospice doesn’t seek to extend life nor hasten death, but focus on the comfort and quality of life. When choosing a Hospice agency, quality of care, availability of services, staff expertise and training, and coverage by your insurance provider.. Hospice care for an individual with a terminal illness may be provided in the person’s private home or in a facility.
Located at 5401 Ellsworth Road in Ft. Smith, the St. Edward Mercy Hospice is licensed by the State of Arkansas and is Joint Commission accredited and Medicare certified. Mercy Hospice provides assistance in Ft. Smith and the surrounding communities. Our team is proud to have served nearly 160 families in 2005. Our recent family survey shows 100% of caregivers stated they would recommend our agency to others. Our multidisciplinary team consists of a Social Worker, Chaplain, Volunteer Coordinator, Secretary, Medical Director, Registered Nurses and nurse aides who provide quality medical, social, emotional and spiritual support services for  terminally ill patients. All co-workers are educated and trained through the End of Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC). Hospice care is provided to all individuals regardless of insurance or the ability to pay.
The Mercy Hospice office hours are from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday. A hospice registered nurse is on call to provide assistance after office hours at night, on weekends and holidays. The hospice philosophy promotes palliative (comfort), end of life care when curative treatment is not an option.
Dr. Joseph Chan recently joined the Mercy Hospice and Palliative Care team as the Medical Director. Dr. Chan is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Care Medicine. He is a member of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s (NHPCO) Standards Committee and the National Council of Hospice and Palliative Care Professionals (NCHPP) Physician Section Steering Committee. The Mercy Hospice team is proud to announce Dr. Chan’s appointment as a board member to the Arkansas State Hospice and Palliative Care Association (ASHPCA). He will also be serving as co-chair of the ASHPCA’s Standards Committee. Janis Hall, RN, Mercy Hospice’s nurse manager, is a member  of the standards committee and is a previous chair of the ASHPCA’s Nominating Committee. St. Edward Mercy Medical Center and Mercy Hospice have also pledged as a Quality Partner of the NHPCO.
Mercy Hospice would also like to introduce you to Sister Dolorita Thompson. Sr. Dolorita is one of the many Mercy Hospice volunteers and was recently honored with a special award by the governor for logging over 800 hours of service to our patients and their families.
ST. EDWARD MERCY HOSPICE SERVICES
- Payment for medications related to the terminal illness
- Weekly and as needed nursing visit (call nurse available for urgent needs)
- Hospital supplies
- Hospital rental equipment
- Nurse aide care
- Social services
- Spiritual counseling
- Physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and dietary counseling if the physician feels the patient might benefit from these services
CRITERIA FOR RECEIVING HOSPICE SERVICES
- All patients must:
- Have an Arkansas licensed physician who is willing to sign orders for hospice care
- Reside in the 50-mile service area noted above
- Choose palliative or comfort care instead of aggressive medical treatment
- Have an illness that is considered terminal or life-threatening and, in the physician's opinion, the individual has 6 months or less to live if the illness takes its usual course.
- Hospice patients do NOT have to be home-bound or actively dying.
If you’d like to learn more about Hospice or Palliative Care please our office at 479-314-1150 or by clicking here.
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