The Hospice House Campaign

Joe and Linda Haralson of Albany know what it’s like to say goodbye to loved ones. You see, over the last five years they’ve both lost parents. Joe, a vice president at Samaritan Albany General Hospital, watched as his mother, Elaine, became terminally ill with lung cancer in 2004. Elaine wanted to stay in her own home, and so the family used the services of Samaritan Evergreen Hospice to help care for her until she passed away in 2005.  

“That was our first experience with Evergreen Hospice, and we learned then about all the amazing services they provide,” says Linda.   Today, there is a very important unmet need in our community -- the need for an inpatient hospice facility to provide high-quality care and a warm, home-like environment for patients like Elaine and support for their families.  

“If there had been a hospice house in 2004, there is no doubt we would have used it,” says Joe.

This is why the Albany General Hospital Foundation is conducting a campaign to build a permanent home for Evergreen Hospice -- the only inpatient hospice facility in our tri-county region. 

Learn more about the Hospice House Campaign here.

Albany Inreach Services

It’s often after a long day of seeing patients that Takiko May, MD, realizes she is scheduled for a three-hour shift at the InReach Clinic, Albany’s free clinic for low-income families.

"But once I’m through the doors, I am rewarded time and time again by grateful patients,” said Dr. May, who is a hospitalist at Samaritan Albany General Hospital. “It’s always worth it and it reminds me of how blessed I am to have become a physician.”

Dr. May and the other volunteer providers who staff the clinic had plenty of chances to see grateful patients in 2010, as the clinic cared for more than 600 patients. About one third of the InReach Clinic’s total operating costs are funded by the Albany General Hospital Foundation. A dramatic expansion of InReach Services in 2008 included collaboration with Medical Teams International and the Tooth Taxi to provide free dental services for low-income residents.