Volunteer Hospice Network

Join VHN! Download your membership application today. (PDF document, approx. 196K)

Already a member? Renew your membership today.

View the current and past issues of VHN Forum, the newsletter of the Volunteer Hospice Network.

About VHN

The Volunteer Hospice Network (VHN) newly affiliated with the World Homecare & Hospice Organization—is an affinity group of volunteer organizations that provide a wide variety of free services to the seriously and terminally ill, their families and those who are grieving. VHN members include volunteer hospices, grief support programs, and many other volunteer groups that care for the dying, regardless of whether they are called “hospice.” A few volunteer hospices provide medical care but most focus on practical, respite, emotional and bereavement support. VHN values include respect for diversity, love of community and protection of local solutions. The VHN serves as a central communication link among these organizations—the only Forum at the national level devoted exclusively to volunteer hospices and their special needs.

Admission criteria for volunteer hospices allows access to all who are dying in their communities regardless of their condition or situation. Volunteer hospices charge no fees to individuals or third-party payers, including insurance companies, Medicare and Medicaid. Funding comes from the community through memorial contributions, donations, fundraisers and private grants. Over 10,000 dedicated volunteers make it possible for these agencies to carry out their missions.

VHN provides technical and professional support to its members on issues such as administration, fundraising, governance, volunteer recruitment and volunteer training. Members share their expertise on how to:

Start a volunteer hospice
Establish in-patient residences for patients without primary caregivers
Structure volunteer home care teams
Create a bereavement center
Form a children’s grief camp
Partner with Medicare-certified hospices and palliative care centers
Transition from a Medicare hospice program to a volunteer hospice

Volunteer Hospice Network Goals:

Assist already-established volunteer hospices to expand their services and develop additional programs to serve the seriously and terminally ill and their families
Establish new volunteer hospices nationwide
Promote the valuable contributions of volunteer hospices and educate the medical community about the advantages of forming partnerships with volunteer hospices
Offer national and regional forums for the exchange of information, resources and ideas
Develop manuals and guidelines for establishing a volunteer hospice, training of volunteers, management of a thrift shop, operations of a residence for the terminally ill, and other publications related to volunteer hospice operations
Create a resource directory for all aspects of operating a volunteer hospice, i.e., fundraising, board management, public relations, on-line services, insurance, computer programs, and other resources
Assist volunteer hospices in designing web pages and activating e-mail communications
Ensure the continuation of VHN Forum, a quarterly on-line newsletter
Publish a national directory of volunteer hospices

HISTORY: VOLUNTEER HOSPICE NETWORK

In the 1970’s, the hospice movement started in the United States as a grassroots, volunteer-based program. Many of these original volunteer hospices still exist throughout the country today and predate Medicare-certified hospice programs.
By the late 1980’s, the Medicare hospice benefit defined "hospice" in America, and volunteer hospices were compelled to decide on their status. Many decided to become Medicare-certified while others opted to remain independent volunteer hospices.
Laws regarding volunteer hospices vary from state to state. They range from full, limited or no licensing of volunteer hospices.
In 1989, Virginia legislative regulation mandated that to use the name "hospice", a program had to provide the medical component of care and adhere to State and Medicare regulatory mechanisms. The Virginia Attorney General, however, ruled that volunteer groups could use the word "hospice" as an adjective in their organization's name.
Over the next few years, several volunteer hospice leaders from around the country began informal networking. The need for a national network became evident.
In the spring of 1995, a proposal was presented to the Hospice Association of America (HAA) to establish the Volunteer Hospice Network (VHN). Recognizing the positive effects of partnerships between volunteer hospices and Medicare-certified programs, the proposal was unanimously accepted, and VHN became a board project of the HAA. The board named a Project Manager, a Project Leader and eight Regional Representatives.
During its first year, VHN worked to identify volunteer groups throughout the U.S. that served the terminally ill and bereaved. A database was created.
In October 1996, HAA and its parent, the National Association for Home Care (NAHC), made it possible for VHN to hold its first annual meeting in Nashville, TN. This was the first time ever that volunteer hospice representatives could meet in a forum that focused exclusively on their own issues. The group agreed on the name of the network; its mission; its purpose; and its goals.
The inaugural issue of VHN Forum, a newsletter published by HAA, was introduced in January, 1997.
At the VHN Annual Meeting in San Diego in 1999, VHN announced the creation of a committee consisting of the VHN Project Leader and three geographically representative hospice leaders. The committee was charged with studying the kinds of resources and action needed for VHN to carry out its important goals.
During the next year, the committee explored various possibilities of VHN establishing a base of operations, either as an independent 501( c)(3) organization or within the structure of an existing organization with a similar mission.
At the Sixth Annual Meeting of the VHN in 2001, the committee announced the affiliation of VHN with the World Homecare and Hospice Organization (WHHO). WHHO is a 501( c)(3) affiliate of NAHC. It is an international network dedicated to the interests of all patients, providers, home care associations, public and private sector agencies, hospices, and personal service practitioners.
In April, 2002, VHN sought applications for the part-time position of an executive director. This position will carry out the goals and purposes of the VHN and will promote the image of volunteer hospices through publications, personal interactions and the media.
In June, 2002, Mary Ellen Walsh, Executive Director, Fox Valley Hospice, Geneva, IL, was chosen as the part-time Volunteer Hospice Network Executive Director.
Under Walsh’s leadership, the 7th VHN Annual Meeting, Preserving and Strengthening Volunteer Hospice Programs, took place in Salt Lake City, Utah, October, 2002.
In October, 2003, Walsh led the VHN Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida, in conjunction with its parent organization’s World Congress on Homecare & Hospice. Attendees from across the globe exchanged data and ideas for serving persons with life-threatening illness and those who are grieving.
After much deliberation and consideration, Walsh was successful in shepherding through the VHN “Core Values/Standards of Membership” as listed below:

Core Values/ Standards of Membership

MISSION STATEMENT

The purpose of the Volunteer Hospice Network (VHN) is to promote the growth,
diversity, and development of volunteer organizations that serve persons who are dealing with life-threatening or terminal illness and those who are grieving.
Members of the Volunteer Hospice Network adhere to the following principles:

To provide supportive, compassionate services to these persons and their families without reimbursement from patients, families, or third party sources.
To maintain the historical concept of hospice work as “compassionate care for the dying.”
To develop programs that meet the emotional, social, spiritual and physical needs of the dying, the bereaved and their families.
To honor the individual wishes, values and beliefs of all the people who seek hospice assistance.
To aid these persons to have an improved quality of life and to die with dignity within the limitations of their disease process and personal circumstances.
To provide caregivers with the practical and emotional support they need to care safely and effectively for dying loved ones.
To appreciate the ethnic, cultural, religious, and spiritual complexity of the service community.
To respect all lifestyle choices and economic levels.

To utilize the skill and expertise of community volunteers and professional staff in the provision of services.
To recruit, train, evaluate, support and develop each staff member and volunteer to insure quality of care, competency and consistency.
To adhere to applicable state licensing requirements for professional staff and volunteers who provide clinical services.
To provide ongoing support for all staff and volunteers to assist them in coping with the delivery of hospice care.
To reflect the ethnic, cultural, religious, spiritual, and lifestyle diversity of the community in selecting staff and volunteers.
To promote the unique community contributions of a volunteer hospice organization.

III

To educate the community-at-large about end-of-life issues, including the grieving process.
To facilitate discussion about end-of-life issues in all appropriate public forums.
To insure access to hospice care through accurate information and promotion.
To serve on committees to improve the quality-of-life for persons who are dealing with life-threatening or terminal illness and those who are grieving.
To be truthful and accurate in all advertising and promotion.

To insure the highest ethical and legal practices of a charitable corporation.
To adhere to state licensing requirements governing volunteer hospice organizations.
To honor the intent of donors supporting the volunteer hospice program.
To guarantee services are not weakened by financial restraints.
To accept referrals consistent with the volunteer hospice organization’s mission.
To protect the confidentiality of all patients and families.
To maintain a reliable and thorough quality assurance program.

VHN Members Should Know:

Volunteer Hospice Network (VHN) membership is open to community providers giving services on a volunteer basis to residents with life threatening and terminal illnesses.
VHN is affiliated with the World Homecare & Hospice Organization (WHHO), an international 501(c)(3) not-for-profit entity. WHHO’s alliance with the National Association for Home Care (NAHC) allows access to some NAHC Member benefits as listed below.
The VHN is a central communication link and the only Forum at the national level devoted exclusively to volunteer hospices and their special needs.
Membership benefits begin with receipt of payment. Membership is based on a January through December calendar, prorated by quarters.

Some of the Benefits Enjoyed by VHN Members:

VHN Members receive, via e-mail, VHN Forum, a quarterly national newsletter dedicated to issues of interest to all-volunteer organizations.
Ability to participate in VHN’s listserv, created exclusively for VHN Members to allow continual communication about issues as they develop.
Ability to participate in VHN’s Annual Meeting, the only national meeting dedicated to all-volunteer hospice issues and interests.
Receipt of CARING magazine, NAHC’s award-winning monthly publication.
Listing in VHN’s on-line internet directory of all-volunteer hospices in the country.
Access to survey results of the nation’s all-volunteer community organizations.
Timely and thorough publications and resources, including manuals, videos, public relations materials and novelties, at a significant discount.
Receive the lowest available prices and free next day delivery on over 20,000 name brand office products with PennyWise.com.
Enjoy significant discounts on individual cruises with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises.

VHN Dues are $150 per calendar year. For more information on joining, contact the membership department.

WHHO Home Page | NAHC Home Page | HAA Home Page