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Abstract: 

As the Health Services Manager of Oregon State Penitentiary, it has been an incredible experience for me to watch and be part of the birth of our hospice program. There were many things that lead up to the program’s development and many challenges along the way. Many great people and organizations stepped up to lend a hand as the program came into being. One of the questions most frequently asked about our hospice program is, “why.” At one time I had several answers describing advantages for inmates, institutions and communities, all backed with statistics and studies. Now, seeing our program up, running and successful, my answer to that question is simply, “because it is the right thing to do.”

Keywords: natural causes, terminal prognosis, End of Life Care Program, Ballot Measures 40, 4 and 11, GRACE Project, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Volunteers of America

Affiliations:  1: Oregon State Penitentiary.