Welcome to Connections, our new email-based newsletter distributed six times a year. To unsubscribe, click the Unsubscribe button in the email you received. To subscribe, send your email address here.
January / February 2025 Issue: Linked Articles Only
All articles from the Connections newsletter that have a read more link are included on this page. To request the full newsletter, send your email address here.
Seasons Welcomes New Medical Director
Dr. Tria Lor recently joined Seasons as our new Medical Director. He plays a crucial role in overseeing the clinical care of patients, ensuring that they receive appropriate and compassionate end-of-life care. He also provides leadership to the healthcare team.
Dr. Lor’s passion for hospice began in his second year of medical school at the University of Minnesota-Duluth School of Medicine during group discussions of death and dying. This passion continued through some poignant experiences during residency at the University of Minnesota-North Memorial Family Medicine, when he focused a part of his practice on providing comfort care for those in senior communities as well as those in inpatient hospice and palliative care settings. He eventually received hospice medical director certification.
He has served as hospice medical director for Lifespark Health in St. Louis Park, Minn and Ridgeview Hospice in Waconia, Minn.
A World Without Hospice
Click here to read a letter about a family who took care of a loved one without hospice and how it could have helped.
MEET THE STAFF
In 2025, we’re excited to give you an inside look at the incredible team behind our hospice care. Each issue of Connections will introduce you to different groups within our staff, showcasing the compassionate individuals who make a difference every day.
At Seasons Hospice, our administrative staff is at the heart of it all and plays an essential role in supporting both our team and our patients. Their dedication and commitment ensure that everything runs smoothly, allowing our healthcare professionals to focus on delivering compassionate care. From coordinating schedules to managing day-to-day operations, they provide a strong backbone for the organization.
Here’s a look at some of the vital tasks our administrative team handles:
Receive visitors, including therapy pets who visit the office
Manage volunteers who play a key role in patient care
Handle accounting and pay the bills on time
Oversee staff onboarding and process payroll
Schedule visits for medical staff, music therapists, massage therapists, and chaplains
Manage general operations
Troubleshoot IT issues to keep everything connected
Organize wellness activities for staff engagement and well-being
Coordinate bereavement check-ins and other grief support services
Keep the office stocked with snacks for everyone’s enjoyment
Facilitate community education about hospice care
Manage our social media presence to keep the community informed
Create and distribute this newsletter
Represent Seasons at community healthcare fairs, spreading awareness about hospice services
The work of our administrative team is often behind the scenes, but it is vital to the compassionate, high-quality care we provide. We’re grateful for the tireless efforts of our administrative staff, who ensure every aspect of our hospice care runs as smoothly as possible.
2024: YEAR IN REVIEW
THANK YOU to everyone who helped to ensure a highly successful year in our fundraising efforts in 2024! Our needs are great, and we are deeply grateful for your generosity.
Our 2024 by the Numbers graphic illustrates the ways in which we interact with our patients, their loved ones, and the community.
*Days of Respite Care at our Hospice House includes Seasons patients as well as patients from Mayo Hospice and St. Croix Hospice.
*Direct Support and Outreach Activities by our Grief Center includes individual appointments, support groups, community events, yellow rose presentations, bereavement correspondence, and phone call check-ins.
*Volunteer hours are important because Medicare requires that at least 5% of a hospice's patient care hours be provided by volunteers.
*Director’s Circle membership is offered to individuals, organizations, and foundations that provide a high level of support through their time, talent, or treasure.
We also want to thank those who took the time to attend a special event this year.
§ Memories of the Heart: Community Memorial Service
§ Dedication of the Artwork Purchased the 2023 Gala for our Hospice House
§ 2024 Gala: The Seasons Way
Center for Grief Education and Support in 2024
The Seasons Hospice Grief Center team extends heartfelt thanks for your support, generosity, and engagement in 2024. It's a privilege to be entrusted with the stories, tears, and laughter of those experiencing grief. We hope our safe, understanding space has helped begin the healing process. In addition to our monthly grief support groups and individual counseling, in 2024 we introduced a new support group, “Dogs & Donuts,” for anticipatory grief, featuring our pet therapy teams. We also provided educational sessions at Lourdes High School for Mental Health Awareness Day, hosted a community vigil for suicide survivors in partnership with Coping Copilots, and facilitated a grief support group at Shorewood for older adults facing transportation barriers. We’re excited for 2025 and look forward to making an even greater impact.
Click here for the Grief Support calendar.
President Carter's hospice legacy
In tribute to President Jimmy Carter, we honor not just his extraordinary legacy of service but also his courage and compassion in his final years. His decision to enroll in hospice care was a deeply personal one that spoke to his belief in dignity and comfort for all people. Long before hospice care became a Medicare benefit, President Carter was an advocate for it, understanding the profound impact it has on families and individuals facing the end of life.
By choosing hospice, he showed us that there is strength in seeking comfort and care at the end of life, and that we can face our final chapter with grace. His leadership in advocating for hospice services laid the groundwork for countless others to have access to this compassionate care. His commitment to others, even in his final days, continues to inspire us all.
Thank you, President Carter—your legacy will forever live on. ❤️
#PresidentCarter #HospiceCare #LegacyOfCompassion #EndOfLifeCare
