SHARING THE JOURNEY chronicles the growth of a major regional hospice - Hospice of the Piedmont in Charlottesville, Virginia - from its origins in the idealistic aspirations of a few dedicated individuals, through the difficult but exhilarating process of creating a viable organization, to the equally challenging process of sustaining and developing it. Haynes sets the story of Hospice of the Piedmont firmly within the broader context of the birth of the hospice movement, beginning with the first hospice established by Dame Cicely Saunders in Britain in 1967, the efforts that followed in America by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and others, and the founding of the first hospice in the U.S., in Connecticut, in 1974. Drawing on the complete archives of the organization, beginning with the first recorded board meeting in 1980, Haynes, Director of Development for the organization from 1989, painstakingly traces the steps involved in nurturing Hospice of the Piedmont from concept to reality, thoroughly examining issues ranging from patient care to enlistment of volunteers to compliance with government and insurance regulation to fund-raising, and more, while never losing touch with the all-important human and emotional side of the work. Structured largely in terms of the successive administrations of Hospice of the Piedmont's executive directors, and the varying strengths and styles these individuals brought to the organization's challenges, SHARING THE JOURNEY should prove an invaluable resource for those concerned with the history of the hospice movement, for individuals currently involved in hospice work, and for those interested in the functioning of nonprofit organizations in general. However, as thorough as it is as an organizational chronicle, the heart of the book lies in the ultimate purpose of hospice, reflected in the title. Of course, "the journey" in this case could be taken to mean the process of building the organization; but in fact the title is the motto of Hospice of the Piedmont. It reflects the commitment that has guided the work of the organization from its founding: Sharing the Journey through the end of life with patients and their loved ones.
About the Author: Robert Talmadge ("Tal") Haynes was born in Winnsboro, S.C., in 1926. Following a two-year stint in the Navy toward the end of World War II, he earned a BA degree from Davidson College and a Master of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Virginia. He subsequently served for thirty-six years as a parish minister in congregations of the Presbyterian Church, USA. Tal came to Hospice of the Piedmont in the summer of 1989, having taken early retirement from his pastoral ministry to do some writing. Shortly after his retirement, Tal had lunch with a friend who asked if he could do some part-time work for Hospice of the Piedmont. That part-time effort, expected to last twelve weeks, concluded 211/2 years later. Tal soon became Hospice of the Piedmont's Director of Development, and later Director of Community Relations. He is most proud of his work in helping Hospice of the Piedmont realize its dream of creating a Hospice House. Tal successfully led the first major capital campaign for Hospice House at a time when the nation and the economy were reeling from the September 11th attacks. During his tenure, Tal was also responsible for starting the Dining Around the Area fundraiser, and the Hospice Tree of Lights. Numerous other development and marketing initiatives still bear his mark and attest to his skill with language and his drive to sustain the organization and its mission. Tal's final endeavor for Hospice brought him back to the passion that had prompted his first retirement - the love of writing. He has channeled that passion into this book documenting Hospice of the Piedmont's first 30 years, as it developed into a major provider of quality end-of-life and palliative care throughout central Virginia. According to Tal, "The most satisfying work a person can do is work that has a lasting impression on human life."