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28 n e w h a v e n B I Z | N o v e m b e r / D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 9 | n e w h a v e n b i z . c o m CT HOSPICE Continued from page 26 pioneering days of Florence Wald — and the palliative branch of the health-care industry has changed drastically in just the past 10 years, DaRos says, with the proliferation of serious competition. "People saw there was money to be made" in palliative care, DaRos says. Now, "We're one of the few nonprofits" remaining in the industry. We were the only one that set the bar and we're still setting the bar; we have high standards." DaRos estimates that in Con- necticut alone there are "30 to 40" organizations that now offer hospice care. e injection of new entrants into the industry place steep com- petitive and pricing pressures on the nonprofit Connecticut Hospice. e organization's website explains: "We continue to set the national standard for home and inpatient hospice care, and are a leader in palliative care, helping people fully understand their illnesses and treatments so they may choose care that is right for them. Our beau- tiful inpatient facility can provide medical care to those seeking more than comfort alone, along with ex- pert-level symptom management." But CT Hospice's challenge has little to do with its Branford facility of the skill and dedication of its staff. "It's not a health-care problem [here], it's a business problem," Pearce explains. "Time was of the essence." e immediate challenge was reconciling Connecticut Hospice's budget with its revenue stream. Pearce explains that although the bulk of costs for care are covered by Medicare, philanthropy is vital "to bridge the difference" between income and expenses. It's a daunting challenge, on a for- midable financial scale. e organi- zation has 350 full- and part-time employees whose work is augment- ed by some 400 volunteers. "Five percent of the work has to be done by volunteers," Pearce explains. e reorganization included closing the cafeteria and eliminating about 40 jobs — more than 10 percent of the workforce. Aer the painful restructuring last spring, employees told Pearce they hoped she could save Con- necticut Hospice. "ey care more about Hospice than [their jobs]," Pearce says. Pearce told staff she would always be "honest and transparent" with them. In a meeting about job cuts, workers applauded to show their support of the reorganization. e goal of Connecticut Hospice is to make life as comfortable as possible for patients whose days on earth are ebbing, Pearce says. Musicians perform most days at the facility — and not just to provide soothing sounds "People who listen to music need less pain medica- tion," she explains. Pet therapy is also available. Patients can eat whatever they like — which means that quite a lot of bacon is requested and served, Pearce says with a smile. She recalls one man who wanted to eat only potato chips. Referencing her father's death at Connecticut Hospice, Pearce says "He had a great death, so I experienced the same loving and compassionate care that all patients and families feel." Pearce is impressed that the non- profit is so mission-driven. "How can you not help [employees] who consistently put the organization over themselves and who thank me every day for coming to work?" she asks rhetorically. "I am honored to work with them." One aspect of the job that sur- prised Pearce is that "dying is not a criterion for Medicare approval of hospice benefits." She said a hospice patient "needs to have uncontrollable symptoms that cannot be safely managed in another setting." Pearce said she also was struck by the passion that residents of the region feel for Connecticut Hospice and how much they want to see the organization become stabilized. DaRos said the next step for the board is to launch a search for individuals to permanently fill the roles currently held by Pearce and Mooney. Whomever they retain will have big shoes to fill. n Pearce has an unbreakable family bond with CT Hospice: Her father, Herbert Pearce, passed away there in 2011, just days short of his 95th birthday.

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