Hospice East Bay Stories

Our own Spiritual Care Counselor, Bette Birnbaum, submitted the following poem to the National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization creative arts contest and won! We are so proud and honored that’s she’s part of our ...

By Bess Chosak, Hospice East Bay Volunteer

My first glimpse of my newly assigned patient was of a small bundle of a lady—a crown of snow white hair peeking out from a soft grey blanket wrapped around her as she snuggled into a corner of her sofa. I ...

As a community-based hospice, we rely on the generosity of our donors to help provide the services that set us apart from other hospice organizations. We are fortunate to have many community organizations and companies support us through events and ...

Forty volunteers were honored with awards for their 5, 10, 15 and 20 years of hospice service at our agency’s annual appreciation gathering in April 2016.

Over 250 attendees gathered to enjoy wine, a delicious dinner and a program highlighting all Hospice ...

This year, we would like to share our gratitude for Winifred Louise Varco Haagensen, known to friends as “Win.” In 1986, Hospice East Bay (then called Hospice and Palliative Care of Contra Costa County) cared for Win’s husband, Ed Haagensen. She was so grateful for ...

In biology class, we learn how plants grow. A green plant uses sunlight to turn water and carbon dioxide into sugars that the plant uses as energy. We call this process photosynthesis, and it doesn’t happen without help. It needs a catalyst, something that helps to ...

Here at Hospice East Bay we utilize national and state benchmarks to measure our patient and family satisfaction. The Community Health Accreditation Program (CHAP), a federally-approved independent organization monitors our quality of care and outcomes. CHAP ...

November is a time when families gather to celebrate and reflect upon what they are thankful for; it is also National Hospice Month.

At Hospice East Bay, we reflect on how thankful we are for the patients and families we are honored to serve, our ...

Hospice East Bay is excited to announce a 3-year grant from the Thomas J. Long Foundation enabling us to fund projects that benefit caregivers, patients, and regional non-profit hospice agencies.

Respite for caregiving family members provides a much-needed, ...

Our Bereavement Department is committed to providing bereavement services, not only to the families of our patients but to our entire community. We offer traditional group & individual counseling as well as innovative programs for children, teens and adults ...

Hospice East Bay is fortunate to partner with six organizations that assist adults with disabilities to gain life and work skills. Every week participants from ARC Inroads, George Miller Center, On Track, RES for Success, Toolworks and Futures Explored volunteer at ...

As a community-based hospice, we rely on the generosity of our donors to help provide the services that set us apart from other hospice organizations. We are blessed to have many community organizations and companies support us through events and ...

Yes, 2015 was another successful year for the organization, and we look forward to an even stronger 2016! We continue to be known for the top quality hospice and palliative care we provide.

Our 2015 Celebration of Care honored long-time volunteer and ...

Hospice East Bay is fortunate to have numerous community groups that believe in our mission and are passionate about raising funds on our behalf. One such group is the Friends of Hospice Rossmoor, led by the dynamic Trish Dickson. Every year, her organization is ...

Residents returned to the Event Center in a festive mood for the Second Annual Art & Wine gathering on October 5th. Attendees enjoyed the eclectic collection of art, photography, ceramics, sculpture, jewelry, hand-painted silk scarves, while sampling an ...

We’d like to share a letter from one of our patient family members which we recently received.

Dear Hospice East Bay,

We would like to take the time to formally express our gratitude for John Marksbury, RN, who cared for our father, ...

As a community-based hospice we rely on the generosity of our donors to help provide the services that set us apart from other hospice organizations. We are blessed to have many community organizations and companies support us through events and ...

November is not only National Hospice Month, but also the month we reflect on things we are thankful for. As a not-for-profit, we rely on the generosity of our donors and volunteers. We are fortunate to have many community groups that give their time and share ...

Over 250 attendees celebrated “A Night in Paris” on Saturday, May 16 at the Diablo Country Club, and helped to raise $180,000 in net proceeds for Hospice East Bay’s programs and services.

The Parisian-themed evening at Diablo Country Club included French ...

On a warm evening in April, hundreds of individuals gathered for the Appreciation Dinner in tribute to our volunteers who contributed over 45,000 hours in 2014 for Hospice East Bay. These hours were generously provided to our Thrift Shoppes, Tree of Lights and ...

As a community-based hospice we rely on the generosity of our donors to provide the services that set us apart from other hospice organizations. We are blessed to have many community organizations and companies support us through events and ...

Spring symbolizes new beginnings and here at Hospice East Bay we are experiencing a fresh look. Our Pleasant Hill office is under construction as we make room for our growing staff needs. We have remodeled the old warehouse in the back of the building with ...

Due to a phenomenal year of growth, our Bridge Program is moving to a new location. The Bridge, Hospice East Bay’s bereavement support program for children and teens, was launched in 2012. Since then, attendance has more than doubled.

There are many ...

Noemi Mitzel is one of Hospice East Bay’s dedicated team of medical social workers. She believes that her first responsibility is to support her patients and their family’s wishes. She stays aware of any special concerns a family may have, be they financial, ...

As a community-based hospice, we rely on the generosity of our donors to provide the services that set us apart from other hospice organizations. We are blessed to have many community organizations and companies support us through events and ...

In June, one of our steadfast supporters, Theresa (Teri) Caygill, became a patient of Hospice East Bay. Like many people in our care, she received support from a number of our staff, including a case manager, social worker, chaplain, and home health aide. ...

Slim is 1600 pounds, has a blond mane and is an unlikely candidate to be a hospice volunteer. He stands in the hot sun, nuzzling hospice patient Lori Michaels, as she wipes away tears from her eyes. Visiting a horse was her dying wish, and today that wish is ...

Through volunteering for Hospice East Bay, I have had the honor of meeting many WWII veterans of the Army, Navy and Air Force. They all told stories that would be worthy of movie scripts, though they are decidedly matter-of-fact and humble about their ...

Every year, Hospice East Bay has the honor of celebrating over 300 volunteers who support our agency. This years' dinner was held in the Pleasant Hill Senior Center and was emceed by Christopher Joyce, Vice President of Human Resources. President and CEO ...

We are deeply saddened by the unexpected passing of Belle, our dear and devoted Pet Pal, who passed away on Saturday, April 26th from a toxic reaction to macadamia nuts. Belle, a two and a half year old miniature Australian Shepherd, was a faithful, loving and ...

Two years ago, Betty Wass found that she could no longer provide care for her husband, Mohamed El Wakil, at home. After much consideration he was admitted to a local board and care facility.

Due to Mohamed's declining health and mobility, the simple task of ...

Valentine Flowers

For the second year in a row, the Clayton Valley Garden Club delivered beautiful plants to our Pleasant Hill office to be delivered to our patients. This year our nurses, social workers, spiritual care counselors and ...

Spring symbolizes new life and new beginnings, and at Hospice East Bay we are introducing a fresh look. We have undergone a rebranding process that has resulted in a new logo and an updated website. This is an exciting time at our agency as we are averaging ...

Bill Burke, a Hospice East Bay patient, is living life to the fullest despite his terminal diagnosis. When Bill Burke's doctor first recommended that he begin using hospice services, Bill was reluctant—he still has a lot of living to do and saw hospice as ...

Pleasant Hill, CA - Every few weeks, during the fall and winter months, we receive large bags stuffed full of quilts. These quilts have been lovingly made by the Scrappy Quilters, a group that has been meeting regularly since 1993 at the Mt. Diablo ...

We are grateful to all of you who have chosen to honor us with your donations. With your help, Hospice East Bay continues to offer innovative and compassionate programs that address the unique needs of each patient and family.

Rossmoor’s ...

We are very fortunate to have an incredible Hospice East Bay family of patients & families, staff, volunteers, and our donors. Every day, we discover another person who has been touched by our services and want to assist in some ...

Pleasant Hill, CA - One day in 1975, three women met for lunch. Evelyn Radford, (aka “Peggy”) was a historian and instructor at Diablo Valley College who remembered and sought to apply the slogan, “If you want it done right, you just have to do ...

Dottie Boyd learned about Hospice East Bay long before she needed our help. She and her late husband Charlie were longtime donors and good friends of Hospice East Bay over the years. In 2000, they notified us that we are a beneficiary of their estate ...

When Rabbi Charles (Chuck) Mintz became seriously ill, his wife Adele felt hesitant about leaving him alone for any length of time. She wanted to be there in case he needed her. “Then, on the very first day that Chuck was admitted to Hospice East Bay, ...

Millie Day was quite surprised to find out that she has been one of Hospice East Bay’s most generous supporters for more than twenty years. She lives a comfortable life of modest means, but has nevertheless created a legacy of generosity during her lifetime ...

Diablo, CA - Hospice East Bay held its Celebrating Our Stars fundraising gala and auction on Saturday, June 1, at Diablo Country Club. The annual Sue Bruns Award for Philanthropy was awarded to Bob King, who has supported us as a long-time ...

Pleasant Hill, CA - Mr. Kitty and Mendelssohn have become our newest Pet Pal Volunteers, visiting patients in their homes or at Bruns House inpatient facility. These cats comfort our patients in times of need.

Bonnie Schlobohm and her ...

Spring is here, bringing flowers, spring cleaning and many new activities at Hospice East Bay. Our Legacy Society, which plants the seeds for our future, has added two new members this year. If you are interested in becoming one of our seeds for the future, ...

We are grateful to all of you who have chosen to honor us with your donations. With your help, Hospice East Bay continues to offer innovative and compassionate programs that address the unique needs of each patient and family.

Flowers for ...

Walnut Creek, CA - On a warm night in April, nearly 200 people gathered at the Gardens at Heather Farms to honor those individuals who support all aspects of our agency: the wonderful volunteers of Hospice East Bay. These remarkable people ...

Martinez, CA - As the saying goes, when one door closes, another opens. Such is the case with our Thrift Shoppes as they will be going through big changes this fall. We closed our Antioch Shoppe on October 28th, but welcomed a new Shoppe that ...

We are grateful to all of you who have chosen to honor us with your donations. With your help, Hospice East Bay continues to offer innovative and compassionate programs that address the unique needs of each patient and family.

Daughters of ...

Pleasant Hill, CA - Hospice East Bay provides bereavement services at no cost to the families of our patients and our entire community. We offer traditional individual counseling as well as innovative programs which address the wide range of ...

When I think of fall and the holiday season, I am reminded of family and celebrations. When I think about Hospice East Bay, I am also reminded of how we care for families and celebrate the lives of their loved ones.

November is National Hospice ...