Good Shepherd Health Care System | 

13

Good Shepherd Home Health Nurses  

Trek A Combined 116,323 miles in 2020.

“This was a tremendous opportunity 
for us to help patients seeking home 
health and hospice in Pendleton 
and the surrounding area,” shared 
Heather. “Our Good Shepherd 
team has graciously accepted the 
challenge, and the added miles, to 
serve community members in those 
locations.” 

The expansion was no easy task, 
requiring a collaboration of resources 
and caregivers’ willingness to travel 
further from home. The expansion 
also had to happen quickly to 
accommodate the rapidly displaced 
patients. “Our home health nurses 
have traveled a combined 116,323 
miles since January of this year 
alone,” stated Heather. “The Pendleton 
community has welcomed our 
caregivers with open arms, making 
this expansion possible  
and successful.”

“In addition to meeting patients’ 
physical needs, we have expanded 
to have grief groups meeting in 
Pendleton, and a volunteer base of 
Pendleton community members to be 
that extra layer of comfort for  
our patients and their families,”  
shared Heather.

12 | Community Connections | Fall 2020

Home Health

So far, they are receiving very 
favorable feedback. “Community 
members have expressed their 
appreciation for having these vital 
services available to them again,” 
Heather stated. 

Along with these words of 
appreciation and thanks have come 
generous donations in memory of 
those who received Vange John 
Memorial Hospice services in the 
greater Pendleton area. “One of 
the recurring themes in questions 
our patients and their family ask is 
whether there are staff members who 
actually live in Pendleton. The answer 
is yes! And when you let them know 
this, a sense of relief comes over 
them. They are glad to be cared for by 
their own neighbors,” shared Heather.

Zachary is one of Good Shepherd 
Home Health’s Physical Therapy 
Aides (PTA) that has been living in 
Pendleton and caring for patients 

Good Shepherd’s Home Health and Vange John Memorial Hospice 

services have expanded to care for patients in every corner of 

Umatilla and Morrow counties. In the fall of 2018, CHI St. Anthony 

Hospital dissolved their home health and hospice services, and 

connected their former patients to Heather, Good Shepherd’s 

Director of Home Health, Hospice and Personal Home Care. 

Good Shepherd Home Health Team

Personal Home Care Team

there recently. “Pendleton is a place 
with a vibrant and strong culture with 
wonderful people. It’s nice to feel 
like I can contribute to the needs of 
the people in my community. I feel 
grateful everyday to have a job that 
benefits the community and helps 
make Eastern Oregon a great place to 
live,” shared Zachary.

Richard, RN, one of Good Shepherd’s 
Hospice nurses, also lives and serves 
in Pendleton. “Pendleton has a rich 

“The RNs did an amazing job! 

So helpful and knowledgeable. 

They all really helped me 
in my care and obtaining 

independence again!  

Thank you so very much.”

–Home Health Patient

“The Physical Therapists were 

wonderful and we appreciated 

their help and expertise.  

Thank you!” 

–Home Health Patient’s Wife

Expansion

PILOT ROCK

PENDLETON

WESTON

ADAMS

UKIAH

ECHO

BOARDMAN

HAT ROCK

HERMISTON 

STANFIELD 

MILTON-FREEWATER

ATHENA

IRRIGON

UMATILLA

84

82

207

19

74

11

395

395

84

244

74

730

84

and colorful history, with a community 
that takes great pride in their city and 
share cooperative support with all its 
members. It is an honor to assist my 
Pendletonian family members when 
making the challenging transition 
from curative interventions, when they 
are no longer desired, or an option, 
into a fully-supported, palliative care 
mindset. My goal is to enhance my 
Pendleton family members’ lives with 
love, and hopefully, add some levity to 
a difficult situation,” stated Richard. 

Another Pendletonian named Cathy 
recently joined Good Shepherd’s 
hospice volunteer team to give back 
to her community. Cathy shared,  
“I want to thank Good Shepherd 
Health Care System for offering Vange 
John Memorial Hospice services 
in Pendleton, and thank the Good