St. Croix Hospice’s Voyage Vigil Program Receives Award from Missouri Hospice and Palliative Care Association

[OAKDALE, MINN.] March 13, 2023 – The Missouri Hospice and Palliative Care Association (MHPCA) has awarded their 2023 Heart of Hospice Program Award to St. Croix Hospice’s Voyage Vigil Program. One of six specialty care programs at St. Croix Hospice, the Voyage Vigil Program provides extra caregiver support during the final days of a patient’s hospice journey. The 2023 Heart of Hospice Program Award recognizes the Voyage Vigil Program for the positive impact it has within the MHPCA service area. 

“The success of the Voyage Vigil Program reflects St. Croix Hospice’s unwavering commitment to patient and family care through every step of the hospice journey,” says St. Croix Hospice Founder and CEO Heath Bartness. “We have an incredible interdisciplinary team of caregivers who make this program possible, and it is an honor for our team and program to receive recognition from the MHPCA.” 

When a patient begins showing signs that they have reached the very end of their life, St. Croix Hospice initiates the Voyage Vigil Program, which increases caregiver presence at a time when it’s needed the most. As part of the Voyage Vigil Program, a team of registered nurses, hospice aides, social workers, volunteers and chaplains are present within a patient’s final hours, working together to support the needs of patients and their families. 

“It is incredibly important to St. Croix Hospice that we are available through every moment of a patient’s hospice experience, and our care team does everything we can to be there for patients and their loved ones during the end-of-life transition,” says Rachel Choate, Regional Director of Clinical Operations. 

Through a combination of technology, compassion and expertise, the Voyage Vigil Program is highly effective in meeting patient needs. In fact, data shows that St. Croix Hospice is outperforming other agencies in the CMS quality measure that reflects care team visits during the last seven and three days of life. For this metric, St. Croix Hospice scored a 96.45%, which is greater than the state average of 89.70% and the national average of 85.72%. 

Taking an integrated approach to hospice care, the expert team at St. Croix Hospice provides physical, emotional and spiritual support to nearly 4,000 patients daily. St. Croix Hospice teams are stationed in more than 60 branches throughout 10 states, ensuring responsive, proximate service to wherever patients call home.  

About St. Croix Hospice   

St. Croix Hospice delivers exceptional hospice care 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. With branches in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin, St. Croix Hospice takes pride in round-the-clock availability, prompt response and same-day admissions – including during evenings, weekends and holidays. Contact St. Croix Hospice 24/7 at 855-278-2764 or stcroixhospice.com.