United Hospice of Rockland (UHR) Presents Hospice Nurse Peggy Baker with the 2013 Harvey Pachter Award

 United Hospice of Rockland (UHR) Executive Director Amy Stern presented the 2013 Harvey Pachter Staff Recognition Award to UHR hospice nurse Peggy (Margaret) Baker at an awards breakfast on June 18, 2013 at the Paramount Country Club in New City. 

Peggy Baker joined the UHR staff as a Registered Nurse in March 2006.  She received her BSN from Dominican College in 1994. In addition, she earned a BS from St. Thomas Aquinas in Criminal Justice.  Prior to joining UHR, Peggy worked in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit at Westchester Medical Center. She is a native of Rockland County who was born in Nyack Hospital and raised in Nanuet, New York.

In presenting Peggy with her award, UHR Executive Director Amy Stern said she received multiple nominations:

“She cared for three of our friends who were on Hospice care.   I know she even sings to and with her patients.”  

“She treats aides as colleagues who are also part of the patient’s care team.  She responds quickly, if I have a question or concern about a patient that might mean a change in the plan.”  

“She treats my concerns as a member of the team with respect.  She does her job, respects my time and skills and lets me know that she recognizes that I too am doing my job.”

 “She includes me as part of the team because I am the one who is with the patient. She wanted me to explain to a facility what I was seeing.”  

“I have watched her listen to demanding caregivers and she listens with acceptance and does her job.”

  “She is an outstanding nurse who really understands that as a team working together, we can provide the best possible care.”

“She respects all her colleagues, not just those with college degrees.”  
            
A family shares: “If words cannot truly express what Hospice has meant to us, then I will never be able to tell you what Peggy has meant to us either.   She was truly an angel, going above and beyond when we needed her.  Both my parents connected with her quickly and they looked forward to her visits. She not only took care of my Dad, but all of us at some point.   As she left the night he died, knowing the end was soon to come, she hugged my Dad and gave him a kiss on the forehead.  Then with tears in her eyes, hugged all of while saying goodbye, and giving us great comfort along the way.  I remember thinking at the time it is probably not a good sign when the Hospice nurse is crying.   The fact that she was she was so emotionally invested speaks volumes to how special a person she must be.”   

The annual Harvey Pachter Award honors a dedicated UHR staff member for extraordinary service to the organization. Winners of the Harvey A. Pachter Recognition Award are chosen for their outstanding performance and dedication in exceptional service, program creation, administrative development and educational advancement.  Any staff member may nominate another or themselves. The Board of Directors reviews the nominations and selects a winner.

Sponsored by Harvey Pachter’s wife and longtime UHR board member Judith Pachter, the Award was established in 1997 to honor the memory of Harvey Pachter, a longtime supporter of United Hospice of Rockland.

UHR Executive Director Amy Stern says that the award makes it possible to show staff a measure of appreciation for the remarkable work that is done throughout the year with a breakfast get-together and the special recognition. She says, “The public recognition of peers, administration and the Board during the annual breakfast is quite stirring; just being nominated is cause for celebration. The winner also receives a check in the amount of $700.00.  It’s just a nice way of saying ‘thank you’ once a year.”

United Hospice of Rockland (UHR) serves as a community resource for bereavement support, palliative care, and information about end of life issues, leading the health and human services community in improving the provision of care to those affected by serious illness. Founded in 1988, United Hospice of Rockland Inc. (UHR), a 401(c3) nonprofit corporation, serves as a resource for palliative care, bereavement support, and information about end of life issues. United Hospice of Rockland is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and meets the Standards for Charity Accountability of the Better Business Bureau, Inc. UHR received a third consecutive 4-Star rating, the highest rating, from Charity Navigator. UHR’s mission is to enable patients with advanced illnesses to live in comfort, with dignity, and surrounded by those they love.  When time matters most, UHR provides care, comfort and improved quality of life to individuals and their families and offers compassionate support to members of the community who have experienced the loss of a loved one. For further information, contact United Hospice of Rockland, 11 Stokum Lane, New City, NY 10956.  Call 845 634-4974 or visit www.hospiceofrockland.org.

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Photos attached

Peggy Baker accepts Pachter Award check from UHR executive director Amy Stern

UHR board member Judith Pachter and Peggy Baker
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