By Bill Wertman, CEO, Big Bend Hospice
Hospice care is deeply personal work. It happens at the bedside, in family conversations, and in the quiet moments that often define the end of life. But no hospice organization carries that work alone.
Behind every patient we serve is a broader network of care: physicians, nurses, hospital teams, certified nursing assistants, therapists, social workers, and caregivers who have often been walking alongside that patient long before hospice ever enters the picture.
During National Hospital Week and National Skilled Nursing Care Week, I want to take a moment to recognize the incredible healthcare partners throughout our community who help make compassionate care possible every single day.
Hospitals and skilled nursing facilities are essential parts of the healthcare continuum. They are places where difficult diagnoses are delivered, healing is pursued, and families turn during moments of fear and uncertainty. The professionals working in those settings carry an enormous responsibility, often balancing clinical complexity with emotional support in ways that most people never fully see.
At Big Bend Hospice, we are fortunate to work alongside extraordinary teams throughout the region. From our local hospitals to the skilled nursing and long-term care facilities serving families across the Big Bend, these partnerships matter deeply—not only to our organization, but to the patients and families who depend on all of us.
Good healthcare is never built in silos.
It requires collaboration, communication, and trust. It means understanding that every provider involved in a patient’s journey plays an important role in ensuring that person receives compassionate, coordinated care. By the time many patients come to hospice, they have already formed meaningful relationships with hospital staff, physicians, rehabilitation teams, and skilled nursing caregivers who have supported them through serious illness.
Those relationships matter.
One of the things I admire most about healthcare professionals in hospitals and skilled nursing facilities is their resilience. These are environments that require both clinical expertise and extraordinary emotional endurance. Day after day, they care for people in vulnerable moments while continuing to show up with professionalism, compassion, and humanity.
That kind of work deserves recognition.
For hospice providers, strong relationships with hospitals and skilled nursing communities are especially important because they help ensure continuity of care. Together, we help patients navigate transitions with dignity and support. Together, we help families better understand their options. And together, we work to ensure that no patient feels alone in the process.
I’ve often said that hospice care is about meeting people where they are. Many times, that journey begins long before they come to us. It begins in emergency rooms, inpatient units, rehabilitation centers, and skilled nursing facilities where dedicated healthcare teams are already advocating for comfort, dignity, and quality of life.
This week is an opportunity to recognize those teams and thank them for the care they provide to our community every day.
To our hospital partners, skilled nursing facilities, physicians, nurses, and caregivers across the Big Bend: thank you for the trust you place in Big Bend Hospice and for the work you do on behalf of patients and families.
We are proud to stand beside you in this shared mission of compassionate care.