Alive Hospice to celebrate expansion of services with new hospice residence in Murfreesboro

May 11, 2017 at 09:21 am by bryan


Nonprofit Alive Hospice is expanding its services in Rutherford and surrounding counties and has planned a community celebration to be held in two weeks at its new Murfreesboro location.

Alive will hold a Grand Opening for The Residence at Alive Hospice - Murfreesboro onThursday, May 25 at 5:30 p.m. The afternoon will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony, building dedication, butterfly release and a musical performance by hit songwriter Tim Nichols (one of the songwriters behind Tim McGraw's "Live Like You Were Dying").

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Alive Hospice anticipates admitting patients to its new Murfreesboro Residence in early June. The new facility is located at 1629 Williams Drive in the Medical Gateway, near Murfreesboro Medical Clinic and DCI.

"This is the day we've all been waiting for," said Alive Hospice Board Chair and Murfreesboro resident Dr. Warren McPherson. "We've needed an Alive Hospice residence in Murfreesboro to serve Rutherford County and the surrounding counties for some time, and thanks to the support of our community, we are now able to fulfill that need. It will be a place of compassion, comfort and care for terminally ill patients and their families. It will provide a tremendous service, and I personally take comfort in knowing it's here for our families, friends and neighbors."

"I saw the value of a facility like this when my father, Billy Kee, received care at Alive Hospice's Nashville Residence. I knew we needed one here. We don't have to say 'We need' or 'We will have' any more, because it's here now," said Alive Hospice Board Member and Murfreesboro resident Lynn Lien. "So many people and organizations gave to build this building. It is one of the most meaningful gifts you could have given to our community, and it will do so much good for years to come."

On May 25, Alive Hospice will release butterflies in honor of all donors who gave in support of this new building. Additionally, a Memorial Butterfly Release will follow the grand opening celebration in the Residence's central courtyard, and families are invited to purchase butterflies to release in memory of loved ones. Butterflies may ordered through Friday, May 12 at AliveHospice.org/murfreesboro or by calling 615-346-8326.

"We will celebrate many things on May 25: the completion of our new residence, what this building brings to our community, those who made it possible, and those we will remember by releasing butterflies," said Alive Hospice President and CEO Anna-Gene O'Neal. "As an organization, we will commit ourselves to the sacred care this facility represents. It is truly a privilege."

Alive Hospice broke ground on the new facility in August 2017. It was designed by Earl Swensson Associates and Smith Seckman Reid and built by general contractor Turner Construction. Alive Hospice anticipates serving around 200 patients and their families in the facility's first 12 months.

New residence means a new layer of care, expansion of services, and convenience

Alive will continue to provide home hospice care in Rutherford County as it has done for more than 14 years. Until now, patients needing inpatient hospice care have had to utilize Alive's facilities in Nashville. Beginning June 1, an I-24 commute will no longer be necessary.

The Residence at Alive Hospice Murfreesboro is a freestanding, 21,000-plus-square-foot facility with 10 patient rooms, family gathering space, a meditation room, a dining room, a covered entryway and a central courtyard. It will serve patients with a variety of needs: those requiring a more intensive level of care than is typically provided in homes; those needing a home away from home; and patients whose family caregivers need a chance to rest for a few days. Many patients will be admitted to The Residence at Alive Hospice Murfreesboro after being discharged from the hospital; others will transfer to the Residence as home care patients.

It will serve patients of all ages, from pediatric patients to centenarians. A variety of volunteer services will complete the care provided at the Residence including pet therapy, live music at patients' bedsides, art therapy, companionship visits and more.

Alive's Murfreesboro Residence will be the new home of the nonprofit's Rutherford County operations. Its Medical Center Parkway office will soon relocate to the Residence site, bringing Alive's home care team, administrative support staff and grief support center under one roof. Alive Hospice has expanded its bereavement support services by adding a second grief counselor for adults and children who have lost loved ones. Additionally, Alive Hospice is bringing a monthly Lunch and Learn series to its Murfreesboro Residence, scheduled for the third Friday of every month beginning June 16.

Champions for Alive Hospice

Pillars of Rutherford County have worked several years to make this new facility a reality:

  • Alive Hospice Murfreesboro Advisory Committee
    Co-Chairs: Lynn Lien and Dr. Warren McPherson
    Members: Leslie Akins, Rita Ash, Phil Barnett, Sydney Boerner, Lou Caputo, Gordon Ferguson, Dr. Max Moss, Kitty Murfree, Dr. Jim Nunnery, Joey Peay, Mark Pirtle, Shane Reeves, Dr. Liz Rhea, Kathy Ryan, Joyce Taylor, Don Witherspoon, Hanna Witherspoon, Dr. John Zubkus

  • Alive Hospice Closer to Home Capital Campaign Committee
    Co-Chairs: Lynn Lien, Dr. Warren McPherson, Kitty Murfree, Mark Pirtle, Dr. Liz Rhea
    Members: Sydney Boerner, Dr. Max Moss, Dr. Jim Nunnery, Kathy Ryan, Hanna and Don Witherspoon
Alive Hospice is a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit health care provider. Founded in 1975, Alive Hospice was the first hospice in Tennessee and the Southeast and one of the nation's earliest. Today, Alive Hospice serves 12 Middle Tennessee counties with compassionate care at the end of life, grief counseling for adults and children, and community education. For more information, visit AliveHospice.org or call 615-327-1085.
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