For years, VNA Hospice of Northwest Indiana has strived to educate people on the importance of hospice care and how impactful it can be. On Monday, July 24, Congressman Frank Mrvan visited VNA Hospice’s Arthur B. and Ethel V. Horton Hospice Center to tour the facility and develop a better understanding of the obstacles nonprofit hospice care centers are facing.
Bob Franko, CEO of VNA Hospice, travels to Washington D.C. in the fall every year to meet with his local legislators and advocate for nonprofit hospices. He and other nonprofit hospice care center leaders explain the many issues they're facing, including their need for more funding to cover the rising labor costs and for-profit hospice centers taking advantage of the Medicare system.
Realizing how important these issues were to Franko, Mrvan reached out and asked if he could visit one of VNA Hospice’s facilities so that he could learn more about VNA Hospice’s services and how they impact our community.
“When I’m in the nation’s capital advocating for our district, it’s important for me to understand the stories and real-life situations people are experiencing. It’s important to know the numbers and the statistics, but it’s absolutely vital for me to know the families and the workers and understand what they are feeling and going through. They are the reason I’m there – they allow me to do what I have to do so that I can deliver back home,” said Mrvan.
Franko jumped at the opportunity to welcome Mrvan to VNA Hopsice’s facility. Mrvan had visited VNA Hospice previously to learn about its Meals on Wheels program, but Franko emphasized how important it is for nonprofit hospice centers to continue to share their experiences with their local legislators so they can continue to get the support they need.
“Later today Mrvan might talk to railroad workers, hospital administrators, or police. He sits on the Steel Caucus and the Veterans Committee. I can’t imagine the inflow of information that he has to take in every single day and all the decisions he has to make about where he focuses his time and energy. Anytime that we get to fill him in and have the opportunity to make him leave with something memorable is important for us. That way, when he’s sitting in the chamber and a piece of Medicare or end-of-life care legislation comes up, he’ll remember us,” said Franko.
Once Franko had explained some of the issues that nonprofit hospice centers have been facing and showed Mrvan around the facility, Mrvan began to ask all kinds of questions. He was even able to gain a deeper insight into VNA Hospice’s Palliative Care program, which offers patients who are still seeking treatment the same wonderful services that a hospice care patient receives. The program provides invaluable support to families who are taking care of a sick loved one.
“I’ve always heard the term and I’ve always known what it meant, but until you come here and think about all the families and individuals who are quitting their jobs or retiring early to handle the stress of taking care of a loved one who is going through some sort of medical issue, you don’t realize how important it is to know that something like palliative care exists. Now I can let my staff know and tell everyone I know so that we can be ambassadors for the community,” said Mrvan.
It meant a lot to Franko to see Mrvan so eager to learn more about the value of VNA Hospice’s services.
“It’s always good to have a legislator who wants to come out and learn about your services, especially when you depend on federal funding, but the fact that it’s Frank makes today even more meaningful because I truly believe that he cares about people. His past experience as a township trustee is unique, so when he comes out, he’s not just doing it for a photo opportunity; he is genuinely interested in who we are, what we do, and the services we provide. He leaves you with the feeling that he is truly going to advocate and fight for you, and he does,” said Franko.
After looking around the facility, asking several questions, and hearing from some of the VNA Hospice staff, Mrvan shared how much the VNA Hospice center touched him.
“This facility is phenomenal, and the most important part of it is the people. You can absolutely see that from the top down every person here cares about their community, and that they are always looking for innovative ways to provide for the senior population. This is exactly the type of organization I want to advocate for,” said Mrvan.
Mrvan assured the VNA Hospice staff that he would continue to advocate for nonprofit hospice care so that they can continue to provide the high-quality end-of-life care that every person deserves.
“When it comes to funding, we are currently going through the budget and appropriation process, and Medicare and Social Security are on the table for cutting and reducing funding. I am an advocate for increasing funding for those things so that we can make sure we have enough resources for our vulnerable population and seniors. I will continue to make sure that funding is robust and takes care of important programs like hospice care,” said Mrvan.
Mrvan’s visit to VNA Hospice was ultimately very productive and helped raise some much-needed awareness for the importance of hospice care in our community. The VNA Hospice team is grateful to Mrvan for taking the initiative to learn more about hospice care and all the good it does for people in need. They can’t wait to welcome Mrvan back so that he can continue to learn even more.
“We just want to thank Frank for taking the time to do this. His district is huge and has a big impact on the steel and manufacturing industry and our country’s GDP, so he has to deal with a lot of heavy issues. We’re just a speck on his radar but he never makes you feel like a speck. We’re thankful for his time,” said Franko.
To learn more about VNA Hospice of Northwest Indiana and its mission to make the best days possible, visit vnanwi.org.
