45 Years of Compassionate Care
Partners In Care is a Leader Among Hospice, Home Health, and Palliative Care Organizations
Partners In Care celebrates its 45th anniversary of serving Central Oregon as the region’s leading and oldest nonprofit hospice, home health, and palliative care provider, redefining hope for our community since the beginning.
In 1979, a group of volunteers created their own model of care for people who were terminally ill, based on the hospice philosophy of care that had been adopted in the United States just years earlier. The organization, first known as ‘Friends of Hospice’ evolved into what we now know as Partners In Care, and has been serving communities across Deschutes, Crook, Jefferson, Upper Klamath, and Lake Counties for over 45 years.
As the largest provider of home health, palliative care, and hospice services in Central Oregon, and one of the largest in Oregon, we provide care to communities throughout Deschutes, Crook, and Jefferson counties. Our largely mobile workforce of over 200 employees serves patients and their families in a 10,000 square mile area. Nearly 200 local volunteers work with Partners In Care in fundraising, resource coordination, and other areas of community support.
As the name Partners In Care suggests, our multi-disciplinary team not only serves patients with life-limiting illness and families during a most difficult time, but it’s also a valuable partner with other community resources and organizations, coordinating compassionate care and meeting a broad spectrum of care needs for many population segments.
The Partners In Care Difference
Our services go well beyond a traditional hospice organization. Our commitment is to the full spectrum of care at all stages and ages. We support advanced illness comfort with palliative care and recovery through our home health program, end-of-life care at home and at our inpatient facility, Hospice House, as well as grief support and bereavement counseling for loved ones following a death. Our non-medical Transitions program helps fill the gaps for people who are medically fragile and need a helping hand or watchful eye in the patient’s home.
Patients who choose Partners In Care have continual support by an expert and devoted health care team that is the region’s most well-respected, referred hospice organization. Our whole-person approach and life affirming philosophy of comfort care guides patients and their families with unparalleled support and medical choices that ensure they get the best medical care for their unique situation. More hospice patients are referred to Partners In Care than any other hospice service in the area.
How We Support Care Professionals
Your top priority is always a patient’s well-being. Ours is as well. For over 40 years, we’ve provided a better quality of life for the patients we serve on our hospice, home health care, and palliative care programs. We offer another layer of care for those with serious illnesses and affirm life for those with terminal illnesses.
We work with health care professionals throughout the region by having end-of-life talks with patients and their family members, providing emotional support, and helping guide them toward medical decisions that improve their quality of life. Our collaborative approach to care can help avoid unnecessary emergency room visits that can lead to re-admittance to the hospital.
Contact us today if your patient can benefit from a hospice program that will work alongside your team to provide excellent comfort and care to patients and their families.
Redefining Hope
“Hope is encapsulated in something
hospice enabled for us as a family.
This was something Renee (my wife)
said… she said she felt there was more
love in her life, because of the cancer,
not despite cancer. Hospice was one
element that enabled us to feel that
hope of love growing in our family
during this difficult time.”
The Values That Guide Us
Partners In Care provides patient-centered care that honors the dignity and needs of those we serve. We sustain an organization that enriches and transforms the lives of our patients, families, team, and community.
To Inspire Compassion and Dignity.
Compassion · Show empathy and care in every interaction with customers, colleagues, and stakeholders. Create an environment that prioritizes understanding and kindness.
Dignity & Respect · Treat everyone with honor and esteem. Value diverse perspectives and foster an inclusive workplace where every individual feels valued.
Integrity · Uphold the highest standards of honesty and transparency. Build trust through consistent ethical behavior and a commitment to doing the right thing, even when it’s difficult.
Accountability · Take responsibility for actions and outcomes. Encourage a culture where everyone owns their work and is accountable for their contributions to the organization’s success.
Community · Engage actively with the community, supporting local initiatives and fostering strong relationships. Recognize the role of the business in contributing positively to the wider community.
Employees & Volunteers · Value the people who drive the organization. Invest in their growth and well-being and recognize their efforts and contributions.
Education · Promote continuous learning and development. Encourage employees to expand their knowledge and skills, and support initiatives that provide educational opportunities.
Leadership · Lead by example with vision and integrity. Inspire others to achieve their best and cultivate leadership qualities at all levels of the organization.
Partnership · Build strong, collaborative relationships with other businesses, organizations, and stakeholders. Work together to achieve mutual goals and create shared value.
Stewardship · Manage resources responsibly and sustainably. Ensure that the organization’s actions today do not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
We offer a culture of kindness, respect, and learning. We discover what is possible when we come together, allowing our diversity to make us stronger and ensuring all employees, volunteers, patients, and families feel valued and supported.
Special Distinctions
Achieved the top 5-star rating in 2024, for the third year in a row, by Medicare/Medicaid in the national Hospice Quality Reporting Program and care assessment survey by families. Certified by Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) and licensed by the Oregon Health Authority (OHA).
Partners In Care has achieved Guidestar’s Candid Gold Seal of Transparency.
Level 5 of the national We Honor Veterans program.
Founded in 1979 as Friends of Hospice, Partners In Care is now the largest and oldest hospice in Central Oregon.
Partners In Care
Board of Directors and Leadership
- Suzanne Lafky: President & Board Chair, Business Owner
- Melissa P. Lande: Secretary, Attorney at Bryant Lovlien & Jarvis P.C.
- Neil Bryant: Board Member, Attorney (retired) of Bryant Lovlien & Jarvis P.C., State Senator 1993-2001
- Gregory J. Ferenz, DO: Board Member, Neurologist
- Matthew Guthrie, AIA, LEED AP, NCARB: Board Member, Partner at RHiZO architecture
- Stephen Kornfeld, MD: Board Member, Oncologist
- Charles Fraley, Board Member, IXUP Director, North America
- Jennifer Elliot, Board Member, Author & Professional Learning Facilitator, High-Desert ESD Substitute Teacher
- Greg Hagfors: Chief Executive Officer, Partners In Care
- Eric Alexander: President Emeritus, Honorary Board Member
- Lisa Lewis, MD: Medical Director
- Jennifer Blechman, MD: Hospice & Palliative Care Associate Medical Director