Congratulations to social worker Melissa Stewart who has been promoted to Director of Hospice Access Services for Angela Hospice! Melissa joined the Angela Hospice team two years ago as Home Care Clinical Manager. Now in her new role she’ll oversee our Patient Access and Patient Support Centers, as well as the admission and on-call nurses.
Melissa said she first fell in love with hospice after transitioning from working in mental health and developmental disabilities. When her own brother received a cancer diagnosis shortly thereafter, Melissa witnessed his experience and what her family went through, which helped reinforce her passion for hospice work.
“The medical system often tends to be so focused on curing people that they forget to tell people there’s another way,” she reflected. “It really lit a fire in me that people need us. People need to hear it’s OK to not be doing the next treatment. People need to hear that we’re here to support them.”
So often when a loved one becomes ill, or when someone experiences a loss, friends and family don’t know what to say or how to support the people they love. But the Angela Hospice team is here to listen, walk alongside them, and understands what they’re going though.
“I would really say my purpose is helping everyone here to understand that we are that support for people that they may not have anywhere else…so being able to be a light in their life at a really vulnerable time,” Melissa shared.
When it comes to her leadership style, Melissa is a helper and a problem-solver.
“I want people to come to me. I want them to ask questions,” she said. “I want to be able to help them solve problems and navigate their day. And ultimately, my goal is to make everybody successful in whatever role they are completing here at Angela.”
