In medieval times a hospice was a way station where pilgrims and travelers cold be refreshed and cared for. The modern day hospice is a concept of care for the terminally ill offering a humane alternative in the delivery of health care services, and organized program of comprehensive care for people going through life's last station. The Hospice Team cares for the sick and dying with respect for the dignity and individuality of each person. Hospice does not hasten nor postpone death; it provides support and care to those in the last stage of life so that they may live as comfortably and pain-free as possible. The first modern day hospice, St. Christopher's, was founded in London in 1967. This concept of care spread to the United States in 1977 with the opening of a hospice in Connecticut. Hospice began in North Carolina and South Carolina in 1979 as in-home care. Hospice is about caring for the needs of the terminally ill and those around them. It is a philosophy that is flexible enough to develop creative solutions as new needs arise and cost-effective ways of using an interdisplinary team to help patients live comfortably as they die. HOSPICE OF HOKE - How We Began... Hospice of Hoke County began in March 1, 1986 under the direction of Ronda Pickler, R.N. Pickler and others in the Raeford Community saw the need for a program to provide-in-home care for the terminally ill. The local program was modeled after existing Hospices across the state. At the time there were 32 such programs in North Carolina. The first advisory committee convened on May 27, 1986, with George Barth II, M.D., as medical director. Barth, a family practice physician, was an associate with Dr. R. G. Townsend and was relatively new to the area. Barth described the program as "a concept of caring for someone whose disease you cannot cure...the main thing is to respect a patient's humanness while they go through a terminal illness." A plea for support of the Hospice program went out to the community in July, 1996, and the response was wonderful. Area businesses donated services to help Hospice of Hoke get started. Memorial contributions began to come in as well. Also in July, 1986, a column by Ruth Phillips "Miss Hospice", appeared in The News-Journal for the first time. It was an appeal to the volunteer spirit of the community, and in turn, the first volunteer training class there were 19 hospice volunteer graduates. These dedicated individuals were ready to give of themselves to benefit the community. And so Hospice of Hoke County began. We admitted our first patient in December, 1986. Today Holly MacDonald, serves as Hospice Coordinator. Also on the Hospice Team are Dr. Ramnik Zota, MD as medical director; Ann Allen, hospice field nurse; Ruth Phillips, memorial chairperson; Delia McNeill, Volunteer Coordinator; Ruschelle Strickland, Bereavement Coordinator; ------------, Hospice Secretary; and Sister Mary Martin, chaplain. Volunteer clergy also assist with the spiritual needs of our patients. The Hospice volunteer force is 85 strong and increases with new graduates from the Hospice training classes.