Kansas Home Care & Hospice Association

Retirees and Years of Service Honorees

Each year at our Annual Conference, the Kansas Home Care & Hospice Association likes to recognize some of the special people in the home care and hospice industry. Retirees recognize any employee or owner of a KHCHA member home health or hospice agency who had retired or would be retiring from the industry in that corresponding year. Years of Service recognized any employee of a home health or hospice agency who reached a 5-year increment of service of 15 years or more (15, 20, 25, 30, etc.) in the home health or hospice industry in that year.

2022 Honoree

• Years of Service 

15 Years: 

Jane Kelly, Executive Director

Kansas Home Care & Hospice Association, Topeka, KS 

2019 Honorees

• Retirees  

Patricia Remmers

Nemaha County HH & Hospice, Sabetha, KS

• Years of Service 

30 Years: 

Shirley Hitt, LMSW, Douglas County VNA, Lawrence, KS

 

• 50th Anniversary

Douglas County Visiting Nurses

In 1968, Marilyn (Lyn) Rothwell, RN, launched a vision to provide care to people in their homes. With the support of Dr. Ralph Reed, Fred Six, and innumerable others, her dream was realized after raising the necessary $5,000 matching funds to obtain a $20,000 Federal grant! Douglas County Visiting Nurses Association officially opened in February, 1969, with a small staff based at 342 Missouri In its first year, Visiting Nurses provided more than 2,600 visits to 89 patients. 

In 1979, a steering committee was organized to develop a hospice agency in Douglas County.  Based on that committee’s recommendation to the Visiting Nurses Board of Directors, a hospice program launched in August, 1981. In May, 2009, the agency added a private duty “Help at Home” program to complete a continuum of home care. 

Through multiple payment models, five office location changes, and eight executives, Visiting Nurses continues to be a respected partner in the Lawrence/Douglas County healthcare community. Over the course of its 50-year history, across all programs, they have cared for more than 38,000 patients, providing nearly 1.6 million visits.

Last but not least, Douglas County Visiting Nurses Association is a charter member of this association.

2018 Honorees

• Retirees – 

Julie Fuhrmann
Visiting Nurses, Lawrence, KS

• Years of Service – 

20 Years:   Laurie Coble Greenwood County Hospital Home Health, Eureka, KS	25 Years: Lani Rothwell, LPN Home Health Team Assistant, Douglas County VNA, Lawrence, KS	25 Years: Debra S Blomquist, RN BSN Administrator, Accessible Home Care, Salina, KS	35 Years: Stan Sweeney, RN,  Health Watch Home Health & Hospice, Liberal, KS

• Retirees – 

Kathleen (Mitzie) Gimblet, Medical Records Clerk
Visiting Nurses, Lawrence, KS

• Years of Service – 

20 Years:  

• Tanya Hudson, RN-BSN, Greenwood County Hospital Home Health, Eureka, KS

25 Years:

• Donna Tremblay, Office Manager, Saline County Health Dept/Home Health, Salina, KS
• Carol Whitehair, RN, Director, Home Health of Dickinson County, Abilene, KS

30 Years:

• Verna Welch, Home Health Aide, William Newton Home Health, Winfield, KS  

2016 Honorees

• Retirees – 

Valerie Engstrom, Home Health Aide
NMRMC Home Health & Horizon Hospice, Chanute, KS

Mary Hane, Administrative Assistant/Receptionist
Visiting Nurses, Lawrence, KS

Janet Herzet, Director
Marion County Home Care, Marion, KS

• Years of Service – 

15 Years:

• Ina "Judy" Carroll, Certified Home Health Aide, Marion County Home Care, Marion, KS

20 Years:  

• Ginger Hayes, RN, Visiting Nurses, Lawrence, KS

25 Years:

• Debbie Ahlert-Caffey, Director of Clinical Services, Visiting Nurses, Lawrence, KS

• Retirees – 

Dawn Cope, Certified Home Health Aide, Douglas County Visiting Nurses, Lawrence, KS

• Years of Service –