Sheila Young

May 2010

Sheila Young still practices law from time to time, but says her real profession these days is being a grandmother to her two grandchildren and serving as chair of the Mission Hospice Board of Directors. Young began her position as chair in January after serving on the board for the past four years.

“My goal is to help the organization build on its recent growth and success, and provide a higher level of patient care through new services like the Advanced Care Program,” she said during a recent interview. “While we expand to serve more patients, it’s important for us to maintain the unique feel of a small, quality boutique hospice.”

She’s excited about the upcoming launch of the Advanced Care Program, which will provide skilled nursing, medical and rehabilitation services for patients who have serious illnesses but are not yet ready or eligible for hospice care. The Advanced Care Program will complement the Transitions Program, which provides pre-hospice patients with social and volunteer support.

“Together with our proven hospice program, the Advanced Care and Transitions programs allow us to serve patients at every stage of a life limiting illness,” she explained. “We can now provide a continuum of care that extends for the duration of a patient’s chronic healthcare needs.” Mission Hospice expects to begin the pilot phase of the Advanced Care Program early this summer.

Young was recruited to the board by Mary Chigos, a close friend and immediate past board chair. Over the years, she’s valued both the opportunity to “give back” to the community, and the fun times spent with other board members, volunteers, the Auxiliary and the Mission Hospice staff.

“There’s something very rewarding about working with this amazing group of people,” she said. “They all bring different ideas and knowledge to the table to help the organization grow. They all have so much to give.”