Moapa Valley Progress
A new care-giving company has been formed to provide hospice care to residents of northeast Clark County. Mesa View Hospice was established in October and is now providing service to patients in Moapa Valley, Moapa, Mesquite and Bunkerville
The new company is owned and operated by three local nurses: Teresa Bowen, RN; Pam Hendrix, RN and Shannel Rowley, RN.
Bowen opened the home health care company, Mesa View Home Care two years ago. Since that time she has assembled a team of seven nurses in that business to assist an expanding customer base in the local Moapa Valley area.
Bowen said that this home health care endeavor had seen so much success that a hospice seemed like a logical next step.
“I have received so many requests for us to open a hospice that it just seemed the right time to move forward,” Bowen said. “We have become so close to so many families in our valley that we want to stay involved in our community.”
Hospice care is specifically designed for people who have a terminal illness and have exhausted all treatment options. Individuals are typically referred to hospice when they have a life-limiting illness or injury and are expected to live no longer than six months, Bowen explained.
“This is a critical point in the life of a family,” Bowen said. “A big part of the job is teaching; both the patient and the family. It is letting them know what are the next steps; what symptoms should be expected and how to manage the symptoms. There tends to be more acceptance of the situation if there is a good understanding of these things.”
Hospice care is also about providing solid support to the family when and where it is needed, Bowen said.
“One of the greatest benefits of hospice is the relief in knowing support is there,” she said.
That support could extend beyond just providing medical services, Bowen said. “Viewed as a team approach to caregiving, hospice involves nurses, social workers, home health aides, volunteers, homemakers and even chaplains, all on call to administer care to patients and their families.”
Bowen had nothing but praise for her co-workers and partners in the business.
“All three of us have been providing home care and hospice services in this area for years, but we decided to form a company that was locally owned and operated by nurses,” she said. “We don’t just own the company we are the ones out there in the community making the nursing visits. We are able to see what the patients and family needs are and utilize local resources and take into consideration the patients financial needs without going through any corporate red tape.”
With larger companies Bowen said that she has experienced times when a patient calls and is having trouble that needs attention, but the company is hesitant to send anyone because the insurance might not pay for that visit.
“We have sometimes just gone out on our own and done it for free and we don’t bother with the insurance,” Bowen said. “That is because we understand the need and can fill it immediately where a big company might not.”
The three owner/operators being residents of the Moapa Valley community also brings other benefits, Bowen said. That is because they can take opportunities to involve the community in providing financial help for those in need.
For a couple of years now, Bowen has organized a local Team Roping Event in the springtime to raise money for a charity connected with Mesa View Home Care.
“We have accomplished a lot and helped a lot of people with the money from that event,” she said.
Bowen said that she has already established a similar charity organization connected with the Mesa View Hospice organization to help patients whose insurance coverage for hospice care is limited.
Mesa View Hospice is fully licensed in Nevada and is accredited by the Community Health Accreditation Program.
