Wing Memorial Hospice Staff Receives National Certification

A staff member of Wing Hospice (formerly the Quaboag Valley Hospice) has received national certification from the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA). Mary Kough, home health aide, recently received certification as a hospice and palliative care nursing assistant (CHPNA).

Kough has been at Wing VNA and Hospice for two and one half years, and has 27 years experience as a home care aide.

“We take great pride in our work and acknowledge Mary Kough’s outstanding commitment to bringing quality hospice care to our community,” said Marcia Turner, Wing Hospice manager. Turner added, “the certification process measures and tests the knowledge and competence of registered nurses and home health aides through a demanding exam that focuses on end-of-life care.” Turner has held national certification as a hospice and palliative-care nurse since 2004 and has been at Wing Hospice (formerly Quaboag Valley Hospice) since 1988. She is responsible for managing the hospice staff, the programs of hospice, and recruiting and training hospice volunteers.

“Our goal is to provide the very best care and service to our patients,” said Dr. Charles E. Cavagnaro III, president and CEO of Wing Memorial Hospital and Medical Centers and Wing Hospice medical director, a position he has held since the inception of the Wing Hospice program. “The testing process is challenging, and Kough’s success in achieving this certification is a testament to her skill and dedication to our patients and their families.”

Since 1987, Wing Hospice has provided care and support to terminally ill patients and families throughout the Quaboag Hills and Pioneer Valley. The mission of Wing Hospice is to uphold reverence for life by helping the dying live as comfortably and fully as possible and to educate the community on end-of-life care choices. Wing Hospice serves 18 communities throughout the Quaboag Hills and Pioneer Valley, including Belchertown, Bondsville, Brimfield, East Longmeadow, Granby, Hampden, Holland, Ludlow, Monson, Palmer, Springfield (eastern sections), Thorndike, Three Rivers, Wales, Warren, West Brookfield, West Warren, and Wilbraham.

The staff of hospice consists of registered nurses; a medical director and associate medical director; medical social workers; pastoral care; physical, occupational, and speech therapists; home health aides; and trained hospice volunteer caregivers.