Medicare and most insurance companies cover serious illness care through Lightways

A Joliet hospice provides more than just hospice care

Lightways Hospice and Serious Illness Care in Joliet – formerly known as Joliet Area Community Hospice – also has a serious illness care program for people with advanced, chronic or life-limiting illnesses.

Lisa Heiy, director of Lightways’ serious illness care, said the independent nonprofit renamed its palliative care program to serious illness care at the time of its rebranding in 2021 to clearly describe the program and its services.

“Not many people really understood the term ‘palliative care’,” Heiy said. “It’s basically symptom management. If we have a patient diagnosed with cancer, we don’t treat the cancer. We treat the symptoms.”

Heiy said Lightways had 1,037 adults in its serious illness care program in 2023. Medicare and most insurance companies cover serious illness care through Lightways, according to the Lightways website.

Lightways cares for patients with a variety of serious illnesses. These include cancer, cardiac diseases — such as congestive heart failure — chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), dementia, end-stage renal disease, liver disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and HIV/AIDS, according to Heiy and the Lightways website.

Read the full article at Shaw Local

Lightways Hospice and Serious Illness Care Chief Executive Officer Mary Kay Sheehan has named two new members to the leadership team, Steve Crockett, chief financial officer, and Kathy Peterson, senior director of marketing,

“Both Steve and Kathy bring a vast amount of knowledge and experience in their respective fields to Lightways,” Sheehan said. “It is a very exciting time for us as we are poised for large growth, expanding in the 11 counties of Illinois we serve.”

Crockett brings a robust background and a proven track record along with more than 30 years of experience and expertise to his new role. Most recently, he worked for IBM as the Business Development Principal. He also served as CFO in various divisions where he spearheaded initiatives resulting in significant revenue increases and played instrumental roles in strategic partnerships and acquisitions.

“I believe that serving others aligns with my faith,” Crockett said. “Accepting this job allows me to fulfill my desire to contribute to a meaningful mission that positively impacts the lives of others, which resonates deeply with my beliefs and values.”

Crockett said he has always been interested in finances, investing, and budgeting his money. He said he was the financial manager for his family, telling his parents they need to save their money. This is a trait he picked up from his grandparents who grew up in a time when one had to know how to stretch a dollar. His personal experiences brought hospice care to his attention and fueled his desire to work for a mission-driven organization.

Peterson brings 12 years of experience in healthcare to her role as senior director of marketing. Most recently, she served as executive director of program and community development with Ascension Saint Joseph Hospital in Joliet and Ascension Saint Mary Hospital in Kankakee where she was part of the administrative team for both hospitals. She is familiar with strategic planning, day to day operations of women’s health services, and program development in relation to community health needs assessment and health equity.

“I am excited to bring my knowledge of the healthcare industry to Lightways,” Peterson said. “The mission is what attracted me to Lightways – a commitment to enhancing the quality of life for persons affected by end-of-life care, serious illness, and grief support. I have a personal experience with hospice and wanted to use my experience to educate the public about our services.”

Peterson oversees the marketing and business development programs as well as communications for the organization. She said she is focused on using her background to strengthen local relationships.

It’s been a year of incredible progress for Joliet Area Community Hospice—a new addition, a new building and in the next month, a new name and brand.

The 40-year-old organization will transition to Lightways Hospice and Serious Illness Care beginning April 12. Lightways will continue to be nonprofit, independent and based in Joliet.

The new name and brand are designed to encompass the health care providers’ expansion and be a catalyst for future growth.

In 1982 when the organization was founded, Joliet Area Community Hospice was the perfect name. It clearly defined what the organization did—provide hospice care–and where they did it—Joliet.

But now, outreach is greater. Lightways cares for patients in eight Illinois counties and will add three more counties this year for a total of 11.

And services are broader. Lightways continues to provide exceptional hospice care, and additionally has an extensive Serious Illness Care program, the leading Pediatric Program in the state and a comprehensive Grief Support program.

“Hospice care and serious illness care are unique segments in the spectrum of healthcare people will receive in their lifetime. It’s important to us that our brand reflects the unique care we provide,” said Mary Kay Sheehan, Chief Executive Officer. “People come to us in a dark time filled with unknowns. At Lightways, we provide unwavering support and guidance to light the way.”

On April 12, a new website will launch at lightways.org and a broad-based multimedia campaign will begin. The new logo will be used with a “Founded as Joliet Area Community Hospice” description during the transition.

“It’s very important to us that the community understand that we are still independent and nonprofit. Our Joliet roots are tremendously important to the organization—they are the foundation supporting our growth and expansion,” said Sheehan.

New Addition:

Lightways is expanding the Hospice Inpatient Unit with a 12-bed new addition that opened in February.

This project is phase one of a two-part project to expand the organization’s facility at 250 Water Stone Circle in Joliet. The goal is to create a 20-bed facility that provides great functionality for patients, families and staff in a warm and peaceful setting.

The 9,000-square-foot addition includes 12 all-new patient suites that are built for comfort for both patients and families. Highlights include:

• Large suites with beautiful décor and natural lighting
• Over-sized patient beds and state-of-the-art medical equipment
• Pullout beds for overnight visitors
• Electronic communications system,
• TVs with streaming services and refrigerators in every suite
• Each room has French doors which open to a private patio. The doors are wide enough that the patient can go outside from the comfort of his or her bed.

Construction is now underway on phase two—the renovation of the existing Hospice Home. Built in 2004 as the first free-standing hospice facility in Illinois, the Hospice Home has served thousands of people who require 24-hour care to manage pain and symptoms.

When the entire Hospice Inpatient Unit is complete, it will feature family-focused gathering areas including:

• A multi-family living room and dining room where families can gather
• A private dining room and kitchen where families can prepare and enjoy a special meal if they choose
• A renovated lobby
• A business center for families’ use

All construction is expected to be completed this summer.

This $8.3 million project was funded through the Remembering from the Heart Capital Campaign which began in 2017. A limited number of naming rights are still available for gifts between $5,000 to$50,000. For more information, please contact Eileen Gutierrez, Sr. Director of Development and Communications, at 815-740-4104.

For Sheehan, the completion of phase one is a milestone for the organization she has led since 2015.

“For nearly 40 years, we have had the honor and privilege of serving those in need of end-of-life care. The generosity of this community in supporting this project is heart-warming. “

New Building

In 2020, Lightways acquired the neighboring office building at 320 Waterstone Way. As Covid restrictions lift, the building will be a resource center to provide in-person Grief Support as well as training and education for the community.

Grief support is offered to all Lightways families and extends to anyone in the community in need of support. Licensed grief counselors provide individual and family counseling as well as conduct a slate of workshops. All Grief Support is provided at no charge.

This summer the building will be dedicated as the Dorothy Brown Resource Center to honor the long-time volunteer and supporter of the Joliet Area Community Hospice.

For Sheehan, this whirlwind of major changes fits Lightways’ bold and innovative mindset.

“We remove barriers so our patients and their families get time with less pain, less fear and more joy. We are doing the same thing for our organization—removing barriers so we can provide exceptional end-of-life care for all who seek it.”

As our communities address and manage the COVID-19 risk, please know that Joliet Area Community Hospice continues to provide hospice care, palliative care and bereavement services at the Hospice Home, at patient residences or in care facilities.

We are following all safety and health guidelines put out by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) on how to handle this concern within hospice organizations.

Should you or a loved one need palliative or hospice care, we continue to admit new patients during this time. If you or a family member have any questions or concerns, please contact a member of your hospice care team or me at 815.740.4104.

Visitors:

For the safety of all, we are limiting patients in the Hospice Home to two visitors in the building at one time. We have instituted CDC’s Travel Guidelines (Levels 2 & 3) screening for all visitors and staff entering the Hospice Home including a temperature check. Visitors are welcome at the in-patient unit provided they meet the criteria that limits risks to their loved ones and others.

Events:

As requested by Governor Pritzker, we are postponing all large events scheduled for March and April. This includes our Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans event which was scheduled for March 21, our Volunteer Appreciation Event scheduled for April 14 and Annual Dinner, scheduled for April 20. It is our top priority to keep our patients, families, staff and guests of our events safe. New dates have not yet been finalized for these events.

We will continue to monitor all situations and will update as needed. Please be healthy and safe.

Mary K. Sheehan, CEO