What now?

How quickly two and a half weeks have gone... It seems as though we were just talking about our trip, planning and then packing; and now we've been back for 2 days.

When we arrived, we were two teams; the four of us from Suncoast Hospice and the five management staff from Hospice Wits. Two weeks later, we were one team, united to ensure access to the best possible hospice care regardless of the country in which it is offered. We took these pictures shortly before we left for the airport to return to the US. There were smiles and laughter before and after they were taken. The Suncoast Hospice staff were also given Hospice Wits hats, so now we're all honorary staff of Hospice Wits, too!

The 2011 staff exchange trip was incredibly successful, every way you can measure success. We learned how to provide excellent hospice care with limited resources, how to creatively utilize all staff to ensure patient/family needs are met, how to take care of ourselves and others, and how to build and sustain teams. We also learned how much we are alike and how we can learn from each other's differences.

Our sister hospice feels a profound sense of hope knowing that we are 'here' and connected to them. There is much left to do. I hope you'll join in and support our sister hospice; which also helps to support and sustain Suncoast Hospice. Over the next few months you'll be hearing more about our three South African committees. I hope you'll consider joining us as we provide this mutual support. By utilizing Skype, our sister hospice colleagues will also be participating in our committees and assisting in planning.

Thank you for the many ways in which you helped the team that traveled to our sister hospice. We are grateful for your support.

Stacy

Our partnership and what it means to me

Visits: I think the visits on both sides have been transparent and known because of all the staff involvement. It has strengthened the relationship and our understanding of the partnership.

Communication: The quarterly steering committee meeting held at Suncoast Hospice has been a great opportunity for us to be involved via Skype. It has allowed greater communication between the two hospices. Emails also play a big role in our communication. We get to know what's happening on their side and vice versa. Our notice (bulletin) boards also play a big role in updating our staff about Suncoast Hospice.

Training: Journal club for the doctors will use the journals we've gotten from the USA (brought on a flashdrive on this year's trip) as well as the AAHPM membership Suncoast Hospice got for us. All of this information is free for us and we're so grateful. We all received valuable in-service training during this visit. More electronic in-services have been prepared for us and we'll use it for ourselves and the staff. We're so appreciative of having access to the Learn Center.

Conclusion: I think whoever made this decision of partnership with Suncoast Hospice made the best decision. From now on we can only grow and sustain this relationship. Yes, our partners learn from us, too, but I think we benefit a lot from them. May our relationship grow stronger and stronger for all the years to come.

Ritta Khunga
Hospice Wits

"I'm new at this"

She was resting in her bed, her bright blue eyes and elegant face brightening with our visit.  Her swollen belly spoke to the reason for her Hospice referral. As Sister Ivey gently asked her admission questions this new patient would quietly answer the questions...and for several she ended with a profound disclaimer...."but I'm new at this".

Each day at Suncoast Hospice and Hospice Wits we have the privilege of meeting patients and families who are feeling very new at this journey of dealing with pain, symptoms they have never felt before and facing decisions they have never had to make before. Both of our Hospice programs are unique in that we are NOT new at this...we are leaders in palliative and hospice care in our respective communities....having the privilege of teaching and sharing about hospice with others as well. Through our partnership we have the opportunity to work and grow together in the innovation of ideas for the future.  My hope is that the sense of newness that each patient feels will continue to inspire all of us to strive for the future and to build on all that we already know.


The past two and half weeks have been a privilege.  My sincere appreciation to Hospice Wits and all the staff who have been so welcoming.  I see this as another successful chapter in our ongoing relationship and look forward to the next.    ------Deb Hagopian

A relationship that matters, deeply!

I have learned more through the last 12 months of our relationship with the wonderful folk from Suncoast Hospice than in the previous 3 years of having the knowledge that they were partnering with Hospice Wits. Why is that? It is because I have had the privilege of spending time with, and really getting to know, members of the Steering Committee, the team that came over to South Africa in 2009 and the team that have spent time with us now in February 2011. Each one of them is passionate about what they are doing for Hospice Wits in South Africa and show a vested interest and passionate commitment to maintaining the relationship that provides Hospice Wits with so many value adding aspects to the work that we both do for our communities. Each one of them has energy and excitement when they are talking about Hospice Wits and they humble themselves and open their hearts and minds to learning from our staff as well as providing us with so much insight, experience and life skills learned from their work done across the ocean. Our relationship has developed over the past years but has so much potential to grow and mature into an all sharing and caring partnership where all our staff are fully aware of the nature of the work done by Suncoast Hospice for each and every one of Hospice Wits staff.
I personally feel a great excitement at the ease in which we have been able to share our learnings with each other during this recent trip, at the energy moving amongst the group to mature the relationships with each other at every level and at the keenness to find new and innovative ways in which to sustain and build on what has been put in place to date. 2011 is going to be a good year for Hospice Wits and all its staff. I do believe that the partnership with Suncoast Hospice is also going to grow in leaps and bounds, and that an understanding of roles and relationships will benefit each one of us. No one is more skilled or experienced than the other - we all need to open our hearts to share what we have in the way of experience and skills of palliative care with each other and therefore learn more and more from the world experiences
Jacqui Kaye.

Caring &Sharing

I have found the experience with Hospice Wits all about learning how we are caring and sharing together. What a wonderful partnership that enables us to learn so much from each other. The opportunity to make visits together ,experience the history of South Africa together and spend time socializing together has helped me to understand more clearly how we can help each other. We have validated each other in the way we provide care and come away with new ideas of how we can provide better care on both sides of the world We have affirmed for each other the importance of first knowing how much we each care about our patients and each other as we are learning how much we know and can teach each other.
The skills of care, compassion and respect are an essential part of both our hospices core values. I so very much look forward to the opportunity to build on these values and the relationships I have made while sharing the hospice experience in South Africa. Many thanks to you all who created this wonderful opportunity and will continue to make all our the dreams possible.

gayle