May Newsletter 2026 - Hospice of the Valleys

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May 2026

Nurses Fund Donations Raised $60,000 of $100,000

Pechanga Charity Golf Classic est. 1999 We were honored to be chosen as one of the charity recipients of the Pechanga Charity Golf Classic. Pechanga has always been a tremendous supporter of Hospice of the Valleys. They generously donated $50,000 to support our Nurses's Fund!

Nurses Week Last week we celebrated Nurses Week! Our nurses are the heart and soul of our organization! We are honored to be raising funds for our nurses all year long!

Community Events State of the City Nonprofit Expo May 28th, 2026 7:00 - 10:00 Pechanga Resort & Casino 45000 Pechanga Parkway CA 92592

Citrus and Moss Invites you to the 6th Annual Give Back Event HUGE Thank you to Citrus and Moss for hosting the 6th Annual Give Back Event! We are so grateful for your ongoing support!

NOTES FROM FRIENDS Hospice of the Valleys serves hundreds of patients every year. We honor them by sharing their stories. They remind us every day of the meaning and purpose of our work and that human connection is at the heart of the hospice experience. The following are notes Hospice of the Valleys has received from the families of patients that we have been privileged to provide hospice care. "The compassion and tenderness you show every patient is truly remarkable, and the kindness and support you give grieving family members will ever be forgotten." "Bless you and for all that you do each and every day. You are truly angels on this earth." "From the first meeting with Kalina through the final visit with Justin, my experience with Hospice of the Valleys was nothing but professional and compassionate. Thank you."

Celebrate the Heart of Volunteering Become a Hospice Volunteer Hospice is about family and community... And volunteers bring heart to hospice. Our team always had the need for volunteers in patient support, music, veteran to veteran support, fundraising, administrative support and more. Hold a Hand-Give a Hug-Touch a Heart. Becoming a hospice volunteers is a meaningful and rewarding experience. You can make a difference! *Seeking bi-lingual volunteers for patient support and music* Hospice of the Valleys: Canyon Lake, Fallbrook, Hemet, Homeland, Lake Elsinore, Menifee, Murrieta, Nuevo, Perris, Quail Valley, Romoland, San Jacinto, Sun City, Temecula, Wildomar, Winchester Please contact Chrisy Lawless, Volunteer Manager 951-200-7800 or CLawless@hovsc.org for more information. You may also refer to our website page HospiceoftheValleys.org for new training updates.

Seeking Fundraising Volunteers - You can make a difference - Outgoing and Self-Motivated - Detail-Oriented and Good organization skills - Ability to Interact Positively with Guests and a Team. If this sounds like you, we'd love to talk with you about how you can help! Please contact: Chrisy Lawless 951-200-7800 | CLawless@Hovsc.org

JOIN US IN MAKING A DIFFERENCE You can make a big impact with Hospice of the Valleys by supporting our Nurses' Fund - a vital resource dedicated to strengthening the compassionate care our nurses provide every single day. Our nurses are truly the heart of our mission. They bring calm in the hardest moments, comfort at 2:00 AM, and guidance for families facing their most sacred goodbyes. When you support them, you support every patient and family who turns to us in their time of need. Your gift to the Nurses' Fund helps us: - Support and retain exceptional hospice nurses - Provide ongoing training and professional development - Maintain low nurse caseloads that allow for more individualized, specialized care - Expand access to care for patients regardless of ability to pay YOUR MONTHLY GIFT MAKES A DIFFERENCE $10 'We Honor Veterans' Pinning for One Patient $25 Comfort Supplies for Ten Patients $50 Medication Copays for Ten Patients $100 Clinical Staff Transportation to Four Patient Visits DONATE

HOV WC 2026

Breakfast with Butterflies Thank you to everyone who attended the Breakfast with Butterflies event! We were thrilled to have a great turnout of amazing people wanting to spend the morning honoring their loved ones.

Volunteer Corner "One Person Can Make A Difference ..." - John F. Kennedy In honor of National Volunteer week, Hospice of the Valleys hosted our Annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon at Oscar's Brewing Company to celebrate our amazing volunteers. The Hospice of the Valleys Special Recognition Awards were presented to Delores Schultz, Larry Sieks and Megan Weinberg. The Hospice of the Valleys Care Partners Awards were presented to St. Martha's Quilters and The Colony Yarnsters. Congratulations to our awardees in recognition of their exemplary volunteer service! Our volunteers are the best of the best. They do so much for so many and our community is a better, more compassionate place because of their service. They are an essential part of our team and help form the heart of hospice. We could not do the work we do without each and every one of volunteers, we are truly grateful.

Imago Dei Mike Patton Bereavement Counselor/Spiritual Care In her beautifully written eulogy, Sarah said this about her father, "Bill lived what he believed - that every person bears the image of God and deserves to be loved well." This brilliant idea of "Imago Dei" which is Latin for "image of God," and based on the creation account found in the opening book of the Judeo-Christian Bible, Genesis 1:26-27, is inspiring. I shared this belief and loved serving side-by-side with Sarah's father at Hospice of the Valleys from 2015-2024. His legacy as a friend and colleague is best served by living into this shared, deep theological conviction. So how do I do that? Like onions, human beings are layered - covered in layers of cultural mores, genetic traits, environmental experiences, religious beliefs, and personal fascinations to name a few. So getting to the image of God is more of a belief than an experience. For me, I have to pause - to stop and think - before I react to people. In that very pregnant pause is when I can adjust my perspective to include the thought that I am in the presence of a person made in the image of God. Recently, I was in Oceanside and took an early morning walk around the harbor. I saw her coming, a woman who appeared to be living without adequate shelter, and I greeted her with, "good morning" as we passed by one another going in opposite directions. I was not completely surprised, but certainly shocked by her vile and violent, nasty worded, finger pointed in my face, with a mixture of anger and evil, response. I just kept walking. It was in the moments after, thinking about what must have been a mental illness or terrible circumstances that led to her outburst, that I was humbled. I wished I had the presence of mind to offer her my undivided attention, based on my deep inner conviction that underneath all that rage was a person made in the image of God. Pauses are an opportunity to adjust our focus, to acknowledge a belief that at the core that deepest human reality is the image of God, housed under layers of life experiences, good and bad, worthy of being loved well. Most of the people we encounter are less antagonistic to a casual greeting, but all bear the image of God, and that can make a remarkable difference in how we treat them.

Memorial Day This Memorial Day, we pause to honor and remember the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to our country. It is a day of reflection, gratitude, and quiet remembrance- an opportunity to recognize the profound sacrifice made for the freedoms we enjoy today. At Hospice of the Valleys, this spirit of honoring life is at the heart of all we do. We are privileged to care for patients and families, including many who carry stories of service and sacrifice.

Care that you can Trust Your Health Matters Leslee B. Cochrane, MD Executive Medical Director Why Integrity Matters-Now More Than Ever "Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching." - C.S. Lewis Modern medicine continues to achieve remarkable breakthroughs -from pacemakers to advanced imaging-but the most essential element of healthcare has not changed: integrity. Patients and families must be able to trust that their care team will act in their best interest, communicate honestly, and guide them through difficult decisions with compassion and clarity. That trust is especially important today, as recent reports have brought increased attention to hospice fraud in California. Investigations have revealed troubling practices among some for- profit hospice providers, including enrolling patients who are not eligible for hospice, prioritizing profit over care, and failing to provide appropriate services. These cases have understandably caused concern for patients and families who are seeking compassionate, end-of-life care. What Patients Should Know While these reports are serious, they do not reflect the hospice community as a whole. Many hospice organizations remain deeply committed to ethical care, transparency, and patient dignity. Still, these developments highlight why patients and families should feel empowered to: - Ask questions about eligibility, services, and care plans Request clear explanations in plain language - Take the time needed to make informed decisions - Seek providers with proven records of quality and accountability No one should ever feel rushed, confused, or pressured when making healthcare decisions-especially during vulnerable moments. A Higher Standard of Care At Hospice of the Valleys, integrity is not just a principle-it is a daily practice. As the only local non-profit hospice headquartered in the region, the organization is guided by a mission to serve patients and families-not shareholders. This distinction matters. Non-profit hospices are structured to reinvest resources into patient care, staffing, and community support, rather than distributing profits. In an environment where some providers have come under scrutiny, this model offers an added layer of reassurance. Hospice of the Valleys continues to stand apart through: - A long-standing commitment to ethical, patient-centered care • Transparent communication with patients and families - Comprehensive support services tailored to individual needs - Recognition for excellence from caregivers and families alike Recognized Quality You Can Trust Independent measures of quality are more important than ever. According to Medicare Hospice Compare, Hospice of the Valleys holds a 5-star rating, the highest possible designation. Furthermore, Hospice of the Valleys remains the only 5-Star provider headquartered in our service area. This rating reflects direct feedback from families and caregivers, evaluating everything from communication and symptom management to overall satisfaction. In addition, the organization continues to be honored among the nation's top hospices through the Hospice Honors program and has been named the #1 Top Workplace by the Inland Empire Press Enterprise this year, further reinforcing its reputation for exceptional care. Reassurance in Uncertain Times Hearing about fraud in any part of the healthcare system can be unsettling. But it is important to remember: ethical, compassionate hospice care remains the standard-not the exception. For patients and families in our community, Hospice of the Valleys continues to be a trusted choice-grounded in integrity, guided by compassion, and validated by the very people it serves When it matters most, you deserve care you can trust.

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