Amanda Gustafson, Chief Operating Officer, Big Bend Hospice
At Big Bend Hospice, no one carries out our mission alone. Every patient and family we serve is supported by a team of nurses, physicians, social workers, chaplains, volunteers and many others working together to provide comfort, dignity and peace during life’s most difficult moments.
That same spirit of partnership brought our team to Orlando for the Florida Hospice & Palliative Care Association’s 41st Annual Forum. This year’s theme, “We Are All in This Together,” was a reminder that the work we do depends on our willingness to learn from one another, share what is working and confront challenges together.
The forum gave us an opportunity to step outside the demands of our daily work and consider how we can serve our neighbors even better. Our team connected with colleagues from across the state, listened to new perspectives and returned home with ideas that can strengthen the care and support we provide throughout North Florida.
Professional development matters in every field, but it carries particular weight in hospice and palliative care. The people we serve are trusting us during deeply vulnerable and often uncertain moments. We owe it to them to remain curious, to continue growing and to never assume that the way we have always done something is the only way it can be done.
The forum was also an opportunity to celebrate three members of the Big Bend Hospice leadership team who were recognized as award nominees.
Katie Mandell, our director of volunteer programs, was nominated for the Hospice Heart Award. Jaclyn Santiago, senior director of operations, was nominated for the Barbara Janosko Excellence in Leadership Award. Travia Cromartie, director of marketing and community relations, was nominated for the Catalyst Award.
Although they did not take home the awards, their nominations are honors worth celebrating. Each represents a different part of our organization, but all three share a commitment to serving others with compassion, leadership and purpose.
Awards are never the reason our team members do this work. Much of what happens in hospice takes place quietly: a volunteer sitting beside someone who does not want to be alone, a leader helping a team navigate a difficult day or a community advocate connecting a family with support they did not know was available. These moments may not always be visible, but they are the foundation of our mission.
I am proud of Katie, Jaclyn and Travia, and I am equally proud of the entire Big Bend Hospice team they represented at this year’s forum. Their recognition reflects the dedication I see across our organization every day.
For more than 40 years, Big Bend Hospice has cared for neighbors throughout North Florida. Remaining worthy of that trust requires more than experience. It requires humility, collaboration and a commitment to keep learning.
We are grateful to the Florida Hospice & Palliative Care Association for bringing our profession together and reminding us of a truth we see in our work every day: When people unite around a shared purpose, no patient, family or caregiver has to walk this journey alone. We truly are all in this together.