Champions Of Care Health Care Team Winner - Home Health and Hospice

Phelps Health is proud to nominate our Home Health and Hospice team for the MHA Champions of Care. In a rural landscape where health care access is often a challenge, this team has redefined what it means to “meet the patient where they are.” Since late 2021, under new leadership, the team has achieved an astounding 333% growth in its home health census and a 566% increase in its hospice census. This growth is not the result of marketing — it is the direct result of a reputation for “angelic” care that spans seven Missouri counties (Phelps, Crawford, Maries, Pulaski, Dent, Gasconade and Texas).
What distinguishes the Phelps Health team is their refusal to let a patient’s ZIP code or socioeconomic status dictate their quality of life. The team routinely addresses nonclinical factors that affect an individual’s health through personal sacrifice and creative problem-solving, including the following efforts.

• A team chaplain built a porch, ramp and custom casket to ensure a patient could live and pass with dignity.
• Staff have personally replaced flooring, purchased space heaters and air conditioning units, and even performed “flea bombing” to ensure safe living conditions.
• Caregivers don't just bring medicine; they bring favorite foods like ice cream and mashed potatoes, understanding that joy is a vital component of the healing process.

The true measure of this team is found in the voices of those they serve. From drive-thru windows to handwritten notes, the community sentiment is unanimous.

• “I was at an Arby’s drive-thru wearing my Phelps Health shirt when the employee told me about the ‘angels’ who come to her house to care for her mother. She described the therapists as the best people ever. I was proud to say, ‘That’s the team I get to work with.’” — staff member reflection
• “I have had several agencies take care of me in the past, but Phelps Health is by far the best ... the nurses, PTs and OTs have such compassion. I could not have regained my independence without them.” — patient
• “Even during the chaos of the tornado hitting Rolla, the organization followed up and checked on us. This made my mother feel safe and supported.” — grateful family member

The excellence provided to patients is a mirror of the culture within the team. During difficult times, the staff rallies around one another, as evidenced by an occupational therapy team member who shared: “I'm grateful to work with a team who truly cares about one another ... thank you for allowing me to care for [my family] while the team supported each other in my absence.” This internal resilience allows the team to provide a seamless “safety net” for the community, even during natural disasters and personal crises.

The Phelps Health Home Health and Hospice team does not just provide clinical interventions; they provide humanity. They are nurses, therapists and chaplains, but to the families of rural Missouri, they are “the angels who come to the house.” For their extraordinary growth and their tireless commitment to treating every patient like family, they are the epitome of MHA’s Champions of Care.

To view all Champions of Care nominations, visit MHA's website.

Home Health and Hospice Team: Jill Delashmit, Lindsey Camenisch, Brittney Phillips, Yvette Golicki, Shelby Jones, Pam Owen, Julie Terry, Angela Burgdorf, Lesa Hoss, Gregory Maynard, Mattie Pankey, Anne Sinclair, Amanda Schoonmaker, Kristin Swinchoski, Hannah Shoup, Courtney Lorts, Shelly Kuhn, Gina Spurgeon, Cherry Estilo, Hannah Pflantz, Tabatha Ransom, Crystal Kuebler, Daniel Phillips, Jess Lane, Zachary Barnett, Justine Ruess, Shelly Schweer, Jacob Quigley, Pamela Nore, Taylor Fry, Kaitlyn Osman, Kayelee Booker, Jamie Long, Nicholas Lewis, Jersey Makhnovskiy, Lacey Brumley, Charlene Homan, Andrea Spratt, Amanda Parker, Liz Barnett, Jodi Hoss, Kiley McClendon, Trish Meyer, Carah Metscher, Cherie Pierce, Nick Giacalone, Desirae Trosper, Danielle Buse, TIna Woolf, Amy Werkmeister-Meeker, Cassandra Harris, Crista Parker, Breanna Jarvis, Carrie Benson, Jami Campbell, Jennifer Piatt, Neal Rosenburg, Hannah Haas, Kara Brewer, Mary Mikulecky, Kayla Weelborg, Teresa Cook, Vickie White, Cindy Scearce, Caroline Kester, Kerry Poindexter, Nick Crocker, Rhonda Hutsell, Nancy Tallant, Anita Harris and LeAnn Yowell