By Laurie Lechlitner
Staff Writer

ROCHESTER — “Hospice work wasn’t something I sought out, but it is everything I never knew I needed. From the first day I started, I knew I was where I belonged.” Beth Reid has been with Gentiva Hospice for 11 years. She’s a hospice care consultant.

Beth Reid

Actually, she didn’t start out to work in the medical field. “I majored in retail management at Purdue University. I worked for Woodlawn Hospital in the area of human resources. When I started at Gentiva, we were Hope Hospice and I was the human resource director. I eventually moved to the hospice care consultant role.”

A typical day for Reid might start at the doctor’s office or hospital. “I discuss needs with physician offices, hospitals and healthcare facilities. If a patient or family would like to learn more about hospice, I meet with them to provide education on our services. This allows them to make an informed decision on what is best for them.”

One of the things Reid wants families to know is that hospice cares. “It’s our team for their team. We are there to assist families in some of the hardest times of their lives. I feel that we are fortunate to have the privilege of walking with them at this time. We become a guide for the loved one and their families.”

The hospice care team includes a nurse, aide, chaplain, bereavement coordinator, social worker and volunteers. “It’s our job to make the patient as comfortable and safe as possible.”

When asked how the team regenerates after such a heavy responsibility, Reid smiled. “We turn to each other. We have a really close team; we are like family. When the emotions of the job become hard, we turn to our chaplains and bereavement coordinator for support. We’ve also learned to focus on the patient and their family, not ourselves. They are the people most important to us at their time of need.”

Reid calls the clinicians who are there caring for the sick person every single day angels on earth. “Those are our team members that we should be focusing on; they are amazing.”

She firmly believes hospice is a calling, not a job. “An employee of hospice must be compassionate and empathetic. We must truly care about people and meet them where they are.”

Reid firmly believes that hospice workers are motivated by more than just a paycheck. “Those who stay the course, love the work. We truly care about people.”

The hospice team takes pride in helping patients fulfill their last wishes. “We might have a patient who wants to travel to Colorado to visit family. Then we’ll coordinate the trip, getting in touch with a hospice in Colorado. Perhaps a man wants to go fishing. We work hard to make each person’s dream come true.”

She concluded, “We assure families that it doesn’t matter where they call home, we’re there to make sure they are safe and comfortable.”

Reid and her husband Dave Fellers are the proud dog parents of a black lab Wesson. They enjoy lake time, being outdoors and traveling.